Peter Windsor explains why Sergio Perez looked ‘refreshed’ in Dutch GP qualifying

Follow us on Google Discover

Sergio Perez looked more confident during qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, after a spate of poor results at the wheel of his Red Bull.

The Mexican will start from the third row in fifth for the race, having set a lap time that was eight-tenths adrift of polesitter Lando Norris in qualifying.

Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen starts from second on the grid with a lap time that was four-tenths faster than Perez, who desperately needs a strong result after a spate of poor races.

Despite a commitment from team principal Christian Horner to keep him before the second half of the season, Perez has still got to prove himself at the upcoming races otherwise he could face the axe for 2025.

Discussing his form in qualifying on his YouTube channel, Peter Windsor explained why he thinks Perez looked like a more ‘refreshed’ driver after his recent struggles.

Peter Windsor believes Sergio Perez is more ‘refreshed’

Perez appeared to struggle during Friday practice having only set the 12th quickest time in the dry conditions, then hardly did any running in the wet third practice session before qualifying.

It was shaping up to be another disappointing weekend, but an impressive lap in qualifying put him ahead of both Ferrari drivers and behind George Russell.

Windsor explained why he felt Perez looked like a rejuvenated driver after struggling for the last few races weekends.

“Sergio Perez looked to be a refreshed driver. He looked to be the old Sergio Perez. Not rushing the car into the corner as much but really good on exits, which is where I think he gained a lot of time,” said Windsor.

Sergio Perez impeded by Lewis Hamilton

Perez nearly faced an early exit from Q1 when he was impeded by Lewis Hamilton during his initial runs in the session.

The Mexican had to lift when he encountered a slow-moving Mercedes of Hamilton, causing an angry response from Perez over the team radio.

He later said that the incident compromised his session because he had to use an extra set of soft tyres afterwards.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Dutch Grand Prix including Prost and Piquet’s drama

Both drivers were summoned to the stewards after qualifying and Hamilton was deemed wholly at fault, with the stewards handing him a three-place grid penalty for impeding.

This means Hamilton, who initially qualified in 12th place, will now start in 14th on the grid behind Kevin Magnussen. This is because the disqualification of Alex Albon for a technical infringement shifts everyone else up a place.