mobile app bar

What Happened to Sergio Perez Today?: Red Bull Star Fumes at His Team During F1 Australian GP Qualifying

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

What happened to Sergio Perez today?

Sergio Perez was talking about his hopes of challenging teammate Max Verstappen for the 2023 world championship heading into the Australian GP weekend. However, if he keeps performing like he did on Saturday in Melbourne, those title hopes will quickly fade away.

Perez was all over the place in Albert Park on Saturday. During Friday’s practice sessions, Verstappen was the quicker of the two Red Bull drivers but no one guessed just how much he would struggle the next day.

FP3 for Perez started off on a bad note, after suspension issues forced him to start his session late. The mechanics did their best to get his car repaired on time, and he was on his first flying lap when Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg blocked his run in the last few corners. After that set-back, we saw Perez make multiple mistakes and go off the track on several occasions.

What happened to Sergio Perez today?

During FP3, Perez took to the team radio to let his race engineer know that there was something wrong with the car. He complained about braking problems heading into turn one, and was unhappy with the overall balance.

Perez locked up multiple times and made several mistakes, often spinning off the track. The Mexican driver would have hoped that his FP3 issues was as bad as his weekend could get, but qualifying turned out to be an even bigger disappointment.

Perez’s qualifying was a disaster, with the Guadalajara-born driver locking up and getting stuck on the gravel trap. He was unable to reverse his car and get it back on track, which brought about a red flag to temporarily halt the session. This brought Perez’s day to a close in Melbourne and the 33-year-old will start the 2023 Australian GP from P20.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

x-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

Share this article