Sergio Perez is brimming with fighting talk as he leads the Red Bull attack on Ferrari at Sunday's 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Mexican starting on the front row is hunting back-to-back victories, and targeting a one-two for his team in Baku.
After his sensational win in Monaco last Sunday, Perez has been hot all weekend in a Balu, a street circuit too albeit a very different one where the Mexican won his first Formula 1 race last year.
It would have been difficult to top Charles Leclerc's pole-winning run, the Ferrari driver is fast becoming Mr Qualifying, but Perez ran him closer than any other and on race pace the Red Bulls might have the edge, as they have become used to turning deficits on Saturdays to victories on Sundays.
Speaking in parc ferme after qualifying in Baku, Perez said: "When it got to Q3, it's when you go full out. I hit the wall a couple of times but luckily we managed to survive, which is the key really here.
"It was not an ideal qualifying because at the end we had a problem with the engine and we couldn't turn it on. So, I was basically on my own and that's very powerful around here. It's a very long race, we just have to make sure that we're there. At any point you can make a mistake, so that's it. "
Horner: I don't think we would have quite had the pace to nail Charles
In the Red Bull qualifying team report, Perez added: "I still think that three-tenths was probably too much to find to close the gap to Ferrari. I am still on the front row and it is a long race ahead where anything can happen, especially here.
"We have both cars in between the Ferraris which is a good thing. We are going to work as a Team to try and get Ferrari and it would be ideal to get a one-two – we are going to push them hard," declared Perez.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner shed light on the Q3 delay with getting the #11 car out: "Checo carrying that confidence from Monaco at a track he has always excelled at here and without the benefit of tow, a good lap for him.
"There was a small issue with the refuelling that just delayed it unfortunately so I think there was just a slight numbers error. It was a shame for Checo because he didn't get the benefit of a tow but he did have a perfect out lap and you can see his performance was pretty mighty.
"With a tow it could have been pretty close but I don't think we would have quite had the pace to nail Charles," reckoned Horner, giving credit to the Ferrari driver and rival.
Latest News
Loading
