Sergio Perez "very, very pissed off" after missing out on Baku front row

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Perez "very, very pissed off" after missing out on Baku front row

Perez lines up sixth for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ewan Gale

Saturday 5 June 2021 17:45 Updated: 17:52

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was left "very, very pissed off" after a lock-up cost him a front-row spot for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Mexican had shown supreme pace throughout practice, topping FP2 on Friday and consistently matching team-mate Max Verstappen as he looked in the running for his first F1 pole position.

Perez, however, could only finish seventh despite his progress in the RB16B and was left frustrated by the minor error that cost him in a session heavily disrupted by red flags.

"I think we have been doing a lot of analysis weekend after weekend," explained Perez,

who will start sixth due to a penalty for McLaren's Lando Norris

"These weeks are very long for me because I am just figuring out the differences here and there. That is the main thing we were able to understand.

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"Also my feedback and communication with the engineers are getting better so certainly a lot of positives although I am very, very pissed off today feeling we should definitely be in the top two, on the front row at least.

"But there are a lot of positives. Tomorrow we should be able to have a strong race pace as well."

Perez bemoans "disaster" outlaps

As in Monaco, qualifying at Baku was ended by a late red flag after Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz crashed at turn four.

Despite the lock-up that cost him time on his flying lap, Perez also hit out at the way laps panned out during the session.

"It was a big disappointment today," said Perez. "Basically, I was on a great lap and in turn four I was about two tenths up on my time and I locked up.

"I think I was a little bit too close to Lando and the wind picked up so I locked up and lost the lap but I was pretty confident of getting a good lap time out of it. We have been strong all weekend.

"In Q3 when it really mattered it was a disaster with the out laps. The track is so big but we all seem to... because we all want to be together it is a disaster starting that lap.

"Actually for track position, Q3 was the worst I have had all weekend."