Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner admits the current deficit between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen is “difficult to explain”.
While Verstappen surged to a 10th pole position of 2023 on Friday evening in Qatar, Perez failed to progress into Q3 for the eighth time out of 17 rounds this season.
The Mexican was marginally on course to make the top 10 shootout before his best lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits, dropping him to 13th for Sunday’s grand prix.
Prior to his early elimination, Perez had languished almost an entire second behind his team-mate as he lamented struggling for balance with his RB19 throughout qualifying.
Horner concedes that Red Bull can’t decipher the margin between the two at present.
“Obviously the delta between the two of them is difficult to explain at the moment,” Horner told Sky Sports F1.
Along with Perez, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was also caught out by track limits in the second stage before both McLaren drivers lost top three starting spots due to having times removed by the stewards at the end of Q3.
“It was a shame for Checo,” Horner added. “He made it to Q3 and then lost a lap time.
“We’ve just see the same thing with Oscar [Piastri] and Lando [Norris], and it’s very tough. Carlos [Sainz] as well missing it. So again Max getting the job done, a tough one for Checo.”
Regarding Perez’s troubling 2023 campaign continuing at the Lusail circuit, Horner believes being alongside Verstappen is starting to take its toll on the 33-year-old.
“I think it’s mentally a tough game. 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,” he explained.
“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.”
Perez will line up 10 places behind Lewis Hamilton, who is the Red Bull driver’s nearest contender in the Drivers’ Championship. Only 33 points separate the two following Perez’s retirement at Suzuka a fortnight ago.
Red Bull is bidding to have its two drivers occupy the top two spots in the standings for the first time in the team’s history.
“For Checo, it’s a tough moment for him. 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,” Horner said.
“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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