F1 News: Sergio Perez Predicts "Interesting" Qatar GP With Tumultuous Conditions

Sergio Perez expresses an upbeat yet cautious perspective for an "interesting" weekend ahead.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez exhibited a buoyant yet cautious demeanour ahead of the Qatar GP weekend, highlighting intriguing and potentially disruptive conditions awaiting teams and drivers. With reference to the preceding eventful races in Asia, Perez shared insightful reflections on the adaptability and expectations of his team.

Key Takeaways

• Perez expressed confidence in his team's ability to adapt to the diverse conditions of the Qatar GP, forecasting an "interesting weekend" especially with the expected slowdown during FP1 due to the sandy track, and the transition into a nighttime qualifying session.
• Addressing the recent trials faced during the Asian races, particularly in Singapore and Suzuka, Perez was candid about the setbacks, whilst maintaining a positive outlook.
• The Red Bull team, following a meticulous review and analysis post-Suzuka, recognised missteps in their car set-up and strategy, prompting Perez to foresee a "straightforward weekend" in Qatar.

During the Drivers' Press Conference, host Tom Clarkson asked Perez whether he thinks the RB19 will be quick on the Losail International Circuit as it is similar to Suzuka. Perez responded:

"Yeah, I think so. I do believe that it's going to be a similar trend in high speed, with a lot of high speed content. Obviously, conditions of the track are going to be very different and it's going to be an interesting weekend, with FP1 and then straight into qualifying.

"We will probably find three seconds slower track in FP1 with all the sand on it. So, it will be an interesting one, also going into the night for Quali. I do expect a very interesting weekend overall."

Addressing the challenges faced during the Asia circuits, Perez candidly shared:

"Yeah, Asia wasn't good for me at all. Singapore and obviously Suzuka. But I think we've learned a lot what went wrong in Suzuka. So, I do expect to be in a much better position this weekend."

F1 News: Sergio Pérez Reveals Mental Struggles Being Max Verstappen's Teammate

When probed about the insights gleaned post-Suzuka, Perez disclosed:

"Yeah, it's mainly the direction we took with the set-up of the car. We over-planned a few things, and now looking back at it, we do understand where it went wrong. And yeah, I really hope that we are able to have a much straightforward weekend here."