Perez: Very lucky to get front row start

The Mexican driver's best time in Q3 was just over three tenths off of polesitter and teammate Max Verstappen, who helped Oracle Red Bull Racing to their 100th ever pole position in Formula 1.

Perez's weekend got off to a subpar start, as he qualified in P6 for the Sprint. He made up places during the Saturday race however, including an opportunistic double overtake on Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr. in an intense battle for third position. P3 was where the Red Bull driver ended up.

After a particularly difficult 2023 campaign, Perez has found form and consistency so far in 2024. Although still off the pace compared to Verstappen, the 34-year-old looks comfortable behind the wheel of his RB20 and also sits comfortably in second in the Drivers' Standings, just 15 points behind his teammate after four completed rounds.

Perez's confidence was nevertheless rocked when he just about scraped through the first part of Qualifying in P15. He explained: "It was very intense. I nearly got knocked out in Q1.

"I had traffic with one of the Williams, I had to abort my lap, drove back on hot, used tyres and just made it through in P15. It was just a very messy start to qualifying."

With regards to the rest of the session, Perez reflected: "Unfortunately it was just not enough to get Max, but overall it’s a tremendous team result because the track has changed a lot.

"We changed a lot the car as well to adapt to the conditions, so hopefully that will also pay out tomorrow. It’s everything to play for tomorrow. We can be fighting from there and we can definitely have a strong rhythm. We showed today that we have fairly good pace in the long run, so I look forward to tomorrow", added the Mexican.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after Qualifying, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was delighted not only to secure a 100th pole position for the Milton Keynes-based outfit, but also to lock out the front row courtesy of Perez.

He said: "It's been a really good Saturday for us. Getting that Sprint race victory this morning and then the pole position with Checo on the front row as well.

"In Q1, the track was evolving quickly and we got a bit lucky to make sure we were in the cut."

On Perez's recent form: "Checo is doing a great job. He's come into this season in a new frame of mind.

"He's relaxed, he's driving well and his confidence is growing. He's not focusing on his team-mate and it's a different approach", concluded Horner.

The Chinese Grand Prix will begin at 08:00 BST (15:00 local time) on Sunday April 21st. Can Perez challenge Verstappen for the race win?