P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Perez laments Qatar qualifying ‘struggle’
Sergio Perez admitted that qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix was a challenge for him, as he failed to make it into the top ten for the eighth time this season. He had his lap time deleted for going beyond the track limits at Turn 5 during the final moments of Q2, pushing him outside of the top positions. As a result, he will start 13th on the grid for Sunday’s race, pending stewards’ investigations, but his starting position for the Sprint race remains unaffected. Perez acknowledged that he needs to win the Sprint on Saturday to prevent his teammate Max Verstappen from becoming a three-time World Champion, with Verstappen only needing a sixth-place finish to secure the title. Despite the difficulties he faced in qualifying, Perez is determined to salvage a good result for Red Bull and maintain his second place in the Drivers’ Championship, even though overtaking will be challenging due to the track conditions.
Source: RacingNews 365
