Sergio Pérez registered his best lap of 1:31.078 during night practice, more similar to the conditions they will face in qualifying on Saturday March 4, the moment where the reality of the teams will be seen. His record was 0.002 seconds behind what was established by Verstappen.
For both the Mexican and the Dutch, there were problems at the front of the RB19, the car they presented to compete in 2023, although the man from Guadalajara thinks they can go ahead and be even faster, especially at a one-lap pace.
“I’m happy with the start, it was positive”, commented the Mexican during his participation with the media at the Sakhir circuit while visiting the colors of Red Bull Racing.
“We tried quite a few things and were able to draw quite a few good conclusions today. It will be important to improve the first qualifying lap because I think we can improve in terms of balance and that will automatically help us to be more competitive in long runs”, added the driver from Guadalajara.
The two Red Bulls were beaten by the Aston Martin of the Spanish Fernando Alonso, a situation that did not totally surprise Pérez after what was reported in the pre-season tests.
“We knew they would be competitive and, to be honest, it’s not a surprise. I think they are just confirming how strong they are,” said the Jalisco driver.