Sergio Perez’s strong form in recent events continued in Portugal as he qualified an excellent P5 for tomorrow’s race. The Mexican, who is currently without a drive for next year, has finished in the top 5 at the last three races; he’s got a golden opportunity to continue that run tomorrow. 

Finishing P7, P12 and P8 suggested Perez wouldn’t be able to fight for a top 5 spot on the grid, but come qualifying he showed fantastic speed. P5, P4 and P5 across the three segments of qualifying was proof of how quick he was. Checo was almost 0.5s quicker than teammate Lance Stroll in Q2; the Canadian could only manage P12.  

Perez praised his team for improving the car from yesterday.  

“I think we got the maximum out of the car today – and P5 was the best result we could secure. 

“It’s a real credit to the team too because we were struggling to find the optimum set-up on Friday and then we turned the car upside down this morning and improved the package a lot. You could really see how difficult the conditions were out there because we were slower in Q3 than we were in Q2 as the wind picked up a lot and the track became slower. 

“We could see that in the final sector times. It’s been a challenge out there because it’s tricky to get the temperature into the tyres - and it’s about not overheating them either - so it sometimes took a few laps to get it right. 

“Every lap was different to drive, but we picked up a good rhythm in Q1 and Q2 and carried it into Q3. It’s clear that Mercedes and Red Bull are well ahead, but there’s a real close battle behind and we’re right in the mix. 

“We’re starting P5 and on the cleaner side of the grid, so if we can get a good start tomorrow, there’s a lot to play for and good points on the table.” 

Todo está muy apretado adelante. ¡Mañana nos espera una gran batalla! 💪💪 #portuguesegp pic.twitter.com/kingK60wDK

— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) October 24, 2020