Perez admits he ‘should have done a better job’ after three track limits penalties in Qatar GP

Sergio Perez was left to rue a “very difficult” run to 10th position during the Qatar Grand Prix after being given 15 seconds worth of time penalties by the stewards for exceeding track limits.

Perez, who started from the pit lane due to significant car and power unit changes after crashing out of the Sprint, steadily worked his way up the order in Sunday’s race to contend for the points-paying positions.

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However, his efforts were hindered by two penalties applied during the 57-lap encounter and, after crossing the line in ninth place, a third and final sanction dropped him to 10th, behind Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu.

Asked about the track limits situation post-race, Perez said: “It was very difficult. I should have done a better job, but also just to judge where you put your car in the high-speed was so difficult. There’s not really a lot to say on that.”

After another weekend spent in the shadow of Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen, who notched up a third successive world title, Perez gave an update on where he stands with his feeling inside the RB19.

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“I think we’ve got some work to do,” he commented, having gone three races without stepping onto the podium. “We’re going to be working already from [Monday] at the factory with the team.

“We have a good idea, the directions we’ve taken, and the directions we need to improve. There are a lot of things that we’ve got to look back at and see what we are able to do.”

With Verstappen confirmed as the 2023 champion, Perez will be pushing to back him up and secure P2 in the drivers’ standings, with 30 points currently separating himself and Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton.

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