Championship leader Max Verstappen claimed his eighth front-row start of the year, but not from pole, as the Dutchman was once again beaten to the top spot by title rival Charles Leclerc ahead of Sunday’s French Grand Prix.
Verstappen had looked very strong all weekend, but it quickly became a reality in Qualifying that Scuderia Ferrari were once again faster over a single-lap. The reigning World Champion did all he could; however, second-place was the best he could manage.
The Dutchman admitted after the session the the RB18 once again struggled for “grip”, something which will concern Oracle Red Bull Racing ahead of the race, where track temperatures are predicted to be the hottest they’ve been all weekend.
“Overall we were lacking a bit in qualifying with grip and general pace. We pushed hard but there were a few areas on the track that I couldn’t improve on, especially in my final lap. We have a good race car but looking after the tyres is key, it’s much warmer tomorrow and that will have an impact so we’ll have to see what we can do strategy wise.
“For the Ferrari’s to be on pole again shows that they have a great car and I expect them to be very quick again. It’s good to have Checo alongside though and we are quick on the straights so let’s see what we can do.”
“We did some setup changes and managed to get in the rhythm” – Sergio Pérez
It’s been a challenging weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard for Sergio Pérez, who has been off-the-pace most of the weekend so far. Despite this, the Mexican driver appeared much stronger on Saturday, and managed to qualify a superb third.
With Carlos Sainz Jr starting from the back of the grid, Pérez has given Red Bull the opportunity to vary both drivers strategy.
Looking ahead to the race, the Mexican driver is hoping the team can “work together”, with a one-two being a real possibility due to Sainz’s penalty.
“To put in a decent lap in Q3 after a difficult start to this weekend is really good and I am pleased to be back in contention tomorrow. We did some setup changes and managed to get in the rhythm of understanding the tyres which worked out well and hopefully puts us in a position to fight hard in the race. I think patience, a strong start and a good tyre strategy in the heat will be key to getting a good result. It’s also very important we work together to get the best outcome for the Team.”
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