Sergio Perez: I was pretty much blind through 2022 F1 Mexican GP qualifying
Home hero Sergio Perez set the fourth-fastest lap time in the 2022 F1 Mexican Grand Prix qualifying session. He will start the main race on Sunday in the second row, after reportedly struggling with an "electrical issue" throughout the session.
The Red Bull driver claimed that he had no lap time reference or access to any information regarding the brake balance and so on, making the P4 result reasonably impressive given the circumstances.
While speaking to the media in a post-qualifying interaction, Sergio Perez admitted that while he would have loved to put on a show for his fans and take the pole position in qualifying, a P4 result is not "the end of the world". He said:
"It was a mess, a total mess. We had an electrical issue from the beginning but, if I look back at my quali, I was nearly knocked out in Q1, nearly in Q2, I had no reference to progress, I had no lap times. Sometimes I could not figure out where I was with my brake balance either. So it was a total mess, but in the end I think P4 is not the worst bit, but I think certainly we could have been quite a lot higher than we are."
He added:
"It was all to do with the electrical issue that we had throughout the quali. Basically I had no reference with lap times and so on. [DRS] came back, the only thing that didn't come back was my electrical. They [Red Bull] are confident that they can sort that out [for the race]."
Meanwhile, his teammate Max Verstappen took pole position in Mexico for the first time. The two Mercedes drivers will be separating the Red Bulls at the race start on Sunday, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in second and third respectively.
Sergio Perez says his battle with Charles Leclerc is "aggressive" but "fair"
While Max Verstappen has more or less been in a league of his own all year long, a close battle has unfolded between Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc for second in the drivers' championship.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2022 F1 Mexican GP, Perez claimed that while both drivers are going at it aggressively, the fight has always and will always remain "fair". He said:
"I think in general with Charles it has been good, the fighting. It's always, really close, really tight. And you know that Charles will be aggressive, always, but always fair."
LAP 29/56
Perez and Leclerc are having a right old battle for P3 💪
#USGP #F1 https://t.co/h0oF5Akm50
Charles Leclerc also commented on the matter and emphasized that their approach in battling it out on track will not change. He said:
"I don't think it will change. Obviously, if there's an opportunity, I'll go for it as Checo will go for it. It’s always been the case. Closer we get to the season, less opportunities, you have to make the difference."
Leclerc qualified seventh today, potentially allowing Sergio Perez to regain second-place position in the drivers' standings.