The driver from Guadalajara had to retire in Q1 on Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix, citing mechanical problems.
Although Max Verstappen took pole position and is the favorite to win the Australian Grand Prix, the qualifying day has not been complete for Red Bull. Checo Perez had to retire in Q1 and will start from the last place on the grid.
The Mexican driver had problems with his car during the free practice sessions and this continued during Saturday’s qualifying. Checo Perez lost control after completing only one lap and argued: “a small technical problem that we had been suffering since the third free practice and we thought we had solved it. But obviously we didn’t and it was really difficult, very difficult. I lost control as soon as I touched the brake”.
At Red Bull, however, they don’t seem convinced that Checo Perez is right in his claim. The team’s advisor, Helmut Marko, contradicted the Mexican driver and even blamed him for what happened: “We had a problem with the engine brake, but it was fixed for qualifying. He hesitated, and made a mistake in qualifying. He was unsure. Impetuous. It was the first lap, and those tires were cold. The asphalt was slippery and he measured wrong,” he said.
Checo hopes to minimize damage
In his attempt to put the frustration behind him, Checo Perez tried to be optimistic for the race: “It’s hard to digest, but we will work together to solve the problems in the car and minimize damage in tomorrow’s race. We will give our best effort, as always.” However, overtaking is far from easy at Albert Park and so far there has been a lot of parity on the grid in this Australian Grand Prix.