Checo Pérez will start fifth after a tough qualifying at the Dutch GP

Sergio “Checo” Pérez had an outstanding qualifying and will start fifth in the Dutch GPLando Norris won at Zandvoort ahead of Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri on the starting grid this Saturday.

For his part, the Mexican driver had only one set of soft tires due to an incident with Hamilton in Q1 that forced him to use two sets in that first round.

Checo Pérez improved his pace over one lap compared to other Grand Prix races to finish fifth, seven tenths behind Norris, and He will start behind Britain’s George Russell (Mercedes), who finished fourth.

“It was a difficult qualifying due to the gusty wind, because Every lap was different and I can only be happy for second place, “Especially after Friday, when we lacked pace,” said Verstappen after the race.

With a 78-point lead over Norris, Verstappen argued that the car “It’s not the easiest to fly”although he stressed that beyond the complications in straightening it in turns eleven and twelve, “The rest of the lap was good” so he hoped the car “would perform better” this Sunday.

Checo Pérez improved greatly compared to free practice

Checo Pérez did not have a good free practice session, finishing 12th in two qualifying sessions.

“This is how we have been in the last few races, so it is not a surprise.but we need to work to find a bit more form for qualifying tomorrow,” Verstappen stressed.

For his part, Pérez stressed that they have been able to test the set-up for the classification and “it looks and feels a little better than the order of today shows”, as he finished twelfth in both classifications.

“Today’s conditions were complicated, with the first free practice in the wet and the second in the dry. “I made a mistake and went off at Turn 12, so I lost a couple of tenths. But in general we have work to do, especially on long runs, to catch up with those ahead,” said Pérez.

Continue reading:

– “Checo” Pérez has a clear outlook after free practice in the Netherlands

– Christian Horner reaffirms his confidence in Sergio “Checo” Pérez