‘It was a shame’ – Perez pins blame on Leclerc incident after early exit in Qatar Sprint Qualifying

Sergio Perez endured another early exit in the first competitive session for the Qatar Grand Prix, qualifying in P16 for tomorrow’s Sprint following an on-track squabble with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc

The Mexican driver’s run of tough qualifying results continued around the Lusail International Circuit as he was knocked out in SQ1, missing out on getting through to the top 15 by just 0.013s to Alex Albon and Liam Lawson.

It means that in all six Sprint Qualifying sessions this season, Perez has been outqualified by his team mate Max Verstappen, who will start the 19-lap Sprint from sixth on the grid alongside Charles Leclerc in fifth.

After securing a single point last time out in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old explained that he was determined to bounce back for the final two races, but traffic troubles with the Ferrari saw him only slightly improve upon his P18 finish achieved in the first practice session of the weekend.

Perez blames squabble with Leclerc for SQ1 knock-out

“We left a little bit late,” Perez said after Sprint Qualifying. “We had an issue with one of the anti-roll bars and then to get my final lap, we were all opening gaps and then Charles came.

“We were fighting into Turn 1 and so on, and lost a couple of tenths there, enough to be knocked out unfortunately.

“It was a shame because I felt like we really progressed with the car from P1 to Qualifying. We had a lot more potential and it’s a shame that we just ended up here.”

He added that the team are likely to focus on a better qualifying for Sunday’s race rather than battle in a “very difficult” Sprint, a sentiment that Verstappen echoed after finding himself three-tenths off the pace set by polesitter Lando Norris.

Max Verstappen prepares to drive in the garage prior to Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on November 29, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) — Verstappen wrapped up his fourth consecutive world title in Las Vegas

The Dutchman said: “The Sprint probably will be tough to fight the cars around me with just the balance that I have in the car. For the other qualifying, let’s see if we can improve the situation a bit.

“I don’t expect it to suddenly be turned upside down and that it works. It’s not been amazing, let’s say that.

“Just no pace to be honest. Just slow. I just don’t really have the balance to attack the entry to mid-corner. The car is just a bit off so it makes it really difficult around here. The very high speed is okay but everything else is not okay and that makes it difficult to push.

“I think P6 is more or less where we should be, maybe P7 actually. It’s of course not where you want to be.”