Sergio Perez had high ambitions for the Mexican GP this weekend. The 34-year-old hoped to turn things around in front of his home crowd after a disastrous 2024 campaign so far. However, it seems like things have gone from bad to worse for Checo.
Red Bull has had a difficult weekend in Mexico so far with Max Verstappen facing engine issues. Perez too has struggled at his home track. Ultimately, Checo was knocked out of Q1 once again. The 34-year-old admitted that it was a very difficult session. Moreover, Sergio Perez even took the blame for not getting on top of the lap in Q1.
Moreover, Perez accepted that he failed to brake in time and had too much energy left in his tires. Checo insisted that this was similar to the US GP last weekend, where the Mexican driver failed to attack corners properly.
Perez: Very difficult one. I just couldn’t get on top of it, I couldn’t stop the car soon enough, too much energy through the tyres and braking. it was very similar to the rest of the weekend, I cannot stop the car similar to Austin, so I cannot attack the corners under braking.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 26, 2024
Sergio Perez needs ‘tremendous effort’ after Q1 exit
Red Bull currently risks losing second place in the standings to Ferrari. As such, the Austrian giant needs Perez to have a strong result on Sunday. However, Checo admitted that he would need to maximize his performance in the race with a tremendous effort. The Mexican could risk losing his seat if he fails to bring some much-needed points for Milton Keynes.
Certainly, Sergio Perez could not have had a worse Qualifying session at his home race. The 34-year-old now faces the pressure of his team and his home fans. As such, it remains to be seen if Checo can keep things intact during the race on Sunday.