Sergio Pérez Achieves Best Qualifying Result Since Chinese Grand Prix

Sergio Pérez had his best qualifying performance since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. The Red Bull driver finished third in the rain at Spa-Francorchamps on used intermediate tires, a critical moment in his contractual relationship with the team.

Data shows how Charles Leclerc toppled Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez. Pérez finished qualifying behind Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, but due to the 10-place grid penalty for his teammate, he will start from the front row with only the Ferrari driver ahead of him.

The RB20 proved to be an extremely strong car in Belgium, thanks to its excellent aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds. This was evident on Friday in dry conditions and again on Saturday during the wet qualifying, where there were more doubts about Red Bull’s chances.

Leclerc Edges Pérez by 0.011 Seconds

With Verstappen in a league of his own, the fight for the front row was between Pérez, Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton. Surprisingly, McLaren was a step behind. Leclerc made the difference, edging Pérez by just 11 thousandths of a second. The SF24 was quicker on the straights, but Pérez had the upper hand in the fast and slow corners, as indicated by the best sectors and telemetry of both drivers.

Pérez lost P2 in qualifying and the first starting position in the race at the Les Fagnes chicane just before the end of Sector 2. After dominating this part of the track, Pérez entered the slow corners with less confidence, costing him a few valuable thousandths of a second, which Leclerc then recovered on the long straight of Sector 3. Leclerc had a lower downforce setup, while Pérez had a higher aero load to maximize gains in Sector 2.

Tire Strategy and Final Outcome

Notably, Pérez did not have a second set of intermediate tires to improve his first lap time, unlike Leclerc and the rest of the ‘Big 4’ drivers. The Mexican driver completed Q3 on a used set of tires, which affected his performance in the high-speed and low-speed corners compared to the Ferrari.

At a critical moment in his career, Pérez has once again become Max Verstappen’s best ally. By finishing ahead of McLaren and having a strong chance to fight for the lead in the early stages of the race, this gives Verstappen and Red Bull some breathing space in their comeback.

Future Prospects

As seen in Friday’s long run and qualifying simulation data, it’s been a positive weekend overall for Pérez. Now, in the race, he has a golden opportunity to solidify his position and prevent Helmut Marko and the Red Bull team from considering replacing him with Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson during the summer break