Sergio Perez’s recent outing at the British Grand Prix Qualifying at Silverstone ended in disappointment as the Red Bull driver’s mishap during the first qualifying session relegated him to a 19th-place start position. The Mexican driver, who recently inked a new deal with Red Bull, encountered trouble at Copse corner, locking up the rear tyre and spinning off the track, an error that saw his car stranded in the gravel.

In a post-qualifying interview with Sky Sports F1, Perez candidly reflected on the incident, explaining:

“I got caught out with the conditions. I was trying to warm up the tyres into Turn Nine but as I downshifted, I locked up the rear tyre and it went off the track.

“I ended up losing the car, going into the gravel and that was it.”

The mishap not only affected his starting position but visibly weighed on Perez emotionally. He continued:

“It hurts because to let your team down that way, it hurts a lot because I think the weekend was strong up to now. We were just not able to show the pace.”

Amid his recent struggles, rumors swirled about Red Bull’s possible contemplation of a driver change, with names like Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson surfacing as potential replacements. These speculations hint at the growing concerns within the team about Perez’s form, especially as McLaren emerges as a stronger contender for the constructors’ championship.

While Perez faltered, his teammate Max Verstappen managed a narrow escape from a similar fate, running wide at the exact point yet advancing beyond Q1.