Sergio Checo Pérez will start second in the Japanese GP after falling behind Max Verstappen and making it 1-2 for Red Bull in the standings.
The race, which takes place this Sunday at the Suzuka circuit, will have Lando Norris in third place. Carlos Sainz, who won the last race, will start in fourth position.
Verstappen, 26, achieved his thirty-sixth pole position in F1 – his fourth of the season – by dominating qualifying this Saturday.
The Dutchman dominated the third and decisive round after covering the 5,807 meters of the Japanese track in one minute, 28 seconds and 197 thousandthsonly 66 less than his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez.
Sainz, who has just achieved an epic victory in Australia, was 48 hundredths behind ‘Mad Max’. He improved by four thousandths on Fernando Alonso, who will start fifth, one place behind him, in Suzuka.
The Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) finished sixth, he will start alongside Alonso, on the third row. One behind will be the seven-time English world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, Sainz’s Ferrari teammate, who finished eighth this Saturday.
Sergio Pérez wants to be aggressive against Max Verstappen
Sergio Checo Pérez will have his teammate in front of him at the start of the race, but this does not mean that he will seek to overtake him at the start of the prize in Japan.
“It will be important to move forward soon. I have had good starts in the first three races of the year, so I hope to be able to pass Max at the start. We are not yet where we would like in terms of race pace, as was seen in the long runs; but we hope to have it tomorrow,” commented the Mexican.
The pilot from Guadalajara stated that with short distances anything is possible and he felt good about qualifying on Saturday in Japan.
“It was good, yes. Today I was very close to Max. “I was very close all weekend, and in the ‘quali’ too. And when you are on those margins, anything is possible,” explained the Mexican.
Keep reading:
– Christian Horner rules out Carlos Sainz Jr. for Red Bull: “The seat belongs to “Checo” Pérez”
– Checo Pérez excited about the performance before the Japanese GP: “I am satisfied with the car”