Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admitted after qualifying at Lusail that the performance gap between poleman Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez was "difficult to explain".
Initially, it appeared that Perez had made the final top-ten shootout until his fastest lap in Q2 was deleted for a track limit transgression, a widespread issue in Friday evening’s session in Qatar.
The Mexican driver’s shortfall marked his eighth failure in 17 races to reach Q3. While there have been mitigating issues for Perez on occasion, it’s a remarkably underwhelming track record given the compelling strength of Red Bull’s RB19, at least in the hands of Verstappen.
“Obviously the delta between the two of them is difficult to explain at the moment,” Horner told Sky.
“It was a shame for Checo. He made it to Q3 and then lost a lap time.
“We’ve just seen the same thing with Oscar [Piastri] and Lando [Norris], and it’s very tough. Carlos [Sainz Jnr] as well missing it. So again Max getting the job done, a tough one for Checo.”
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Perez is set to start his Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday from P13 on the grid, which will leave him with an uphill battle in the race.
“I think it’s mentally a tough game,” added Horner. “All top-line sport is. And when you’re going up against a driver like Max and with the pressure that comes with it, that pressure only intensifies.
“I think Checo, we know what he’s capable of and we know that he’s a great racer and qualifying is always his Achilles heel.
“So we’ve just got to try and support him through these difficult moments to make sure that he comes back strong tomorrow and of course in the race on Sunday.”
Verstappen is almost guaranteed to celebrate his third world title this weekend. But Perez’s advantage in the Drivers’ standings over third-placed man Lewis Hamilton is just 33 points.
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With Mercedes performing better than expected in Qatar and with the seven-time world champion starting Sunday’s race from P3, Perez’s runner-up spot is in the Briton’s line of sight.
“For Checo, it’s a tough moment for him,” conceded Horner. “He’s an experienced guy. He has all the pressure on his shoulders that mounts from being in one of the hottest seats in Formula 1. But I’m sure that he’ll respond to that.
“We just need to support him as a team and try and do the best to get the most out of him and make sure he finishes in that second place in the championship.”
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