Perez down the grid again: 'I should have been on the front row'

Sergio Perez is awaiting the stewards in Brazil to determine whether the Red Bull Racing Mexican will receive a penalty for impeding another driver. That should have happened while leaving the pit lane. Without a penalty, Perez will start Sunday's Grand Prix from ninth place, while his teammate Max Verstappen will be on the front row. Indeed, the Dutchman will start from pole.

So with ninth place, Perez has another result he cannot be happy with. "We were just incredibly unlucky today. I should have been on the front row. My lap was very close to Max's up in the last corner. Very unfortunate because I felt like we had it better today," Perez said in front of F1 TV's camera.

Perez had to get off the gas entering the closing stage of the lap, as Oscar Piastri had slid off briefly. But if he had a good pace, that should give Perez confidence for Sunday. The Mexican agrees with that. "Yes, definitely. I think they earned some good points and good opportunities to race from here."

Perez does have the misfortune that Lewis Hamilton - with whom he is battling for second place in the championship - will start Sunday from P5.