P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has revealed why he waited in the pit lane during the Formula 1 Sprint race in Qatar on Saturday.
Sergio Perez was knocked out of Sprint Qualifying in the first session, leading Red Bull to make set-up changes to his car before the Sprint race. Despite starting from the pitlane, Perez remained stationary after the green light, allowing Franco Colapinto to outmaneuver him. After the Sprint, Christian Horner expressed confusion over Perez’s actions, claiming he had been “caught napping” at the pitlane exit. Perez clarified to the media that their strategy was to create a big gap for clear traffic, treating the race as a testing session due to being out of position. Ultimately, Perez managed to qualify in the top 10 for the Sunday race, showing progress and expressing hope for better balance and performance. Max Verstappen secured pole position in Qatar but received a grid penalty, while Red Bull is uncertain if their qualifying pace will translate into the Grand Prix, with Verstappen starting second and Perez ninth.
