The numerous investigations following qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix did not spare Sergio Pérez either. The Mexican was suspected of not slowing down enough under the yellow flag for George Russell’s slip in Q2. At the end of the investigation, however, he is acquitted and allowed to keep his third starting place.
“Compared to his previous lap, he released the accelerator 70 meters earlier, braked 50 meters earlier and cornered 14 km/h slower. Therefore, the stewards conclude that he behaved appropriately to the situation , and take no further action,” the statement said.
Pérez himself confirmed before the verdict that he had delayed sufficiently: “I was told on the radio before turn 11 that there was a yellow flag. That’s why I took a step back.” The announcement on the radio was: “Yellows, mate, Yellows! [Gelbe Flaggen, Kumpel, Gelbe Flaggen!]”
“I lost half a second just braking,” the Red Bull driver continued. “Green was shown after the corner and I completed the lap. In the end it was about eight tenths of a second slower. So all good.”
No strategy with the C5 tire
After pole position in Jeddah and the fastest time in Q2, third place on the grid is something of a step back to earth. Pérez: “It was difficult throughout qualifying. I never felt like I had a real strategy with the tires. In my opinion, they reacted very sensitively to the asphalt.”
“It’s the first time we’re running the C5 tyre, so it was particularly difficult. Q1 and Q2 still went well. But Q3 with the red flag… We ended up having too much fuel on board just to find out “That a third lap didn’t do anything. I regret a bit that we went into Q3 without a strategy regarding the tyres. But third place is decent for tomorrow.”
The qualifying was driven into the sunset. That also caused problems, but not with regard to the tires: “The sun went down quickly and it got significantly darker. We experimented with the visor on my first Q3 run.”
“It was completely dark at that point because the sun wasn’t out. When I went out again, the sun was out again. That’s why I didn’t have the right visor.” He expects a close race for the first places on Sunday.