Perez balks at track limits: 'This can't go on like this!'

F1 News

sergio perez qualifying abu dhabi 2023 track limits
25 November 2023 at 17:30

Sergio Perez seemed to have the speed to at least join teammate Max Verstappen on the front row for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but again it did not work out. Even spot five did not materialise. Perez saw his time taken away because he had exceeded track limits. Much to the disappointment of the Red Bull Racing Mexican himself.

"Yes, frustration as always, especially when it's so close," Perez told GPblog amont others. "And you just have to rely on the stewards. And I mean, it's what it is now, but I really hope that during the winter, we are able to find a better solution for the drivers, but also for the people back home. Because it's as confusing as for everyone, and I don't think it looks nice, finishing qualifying, and you have teams that will be arguing this afternoon to try to get penalties on others. So I just feel like it's some work that we got ahead of us to try to come up with a better solution on track limits.

What solution that should be is not so simple yet, Perez believes. "Yeah, let's see what. I have no idea. You know, they should be working on a better solution than what we have now and working on the circuits. I think we create these issues for ourselves just with how the circuits are." 

Perez had tricky Q3 in Abu Dhabi

In any case, Perez will start the Grand Prix from ninth place. Looking back on the weekend so far, he says: "It's been a bit difficult, especially I had a really strong Q1, Q2, but then in Q3 with a single set of tyres, it wasn’t the smoothest sessions and I did a mistake going into Turn 6, I undershoot a bit Turn 1, so the lap was just not very clean. I lost a few tenths into Turn 6, but unfortunately it's what it is. And now let's look forward for tomorrow."