Formula One F1 - Mexico City Grand Prix - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico - October 26, 2024 Fans hold up cut outs in support of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Sergio Perez during practice REUTERS/Henry Romero
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Sergio Perez gave a wave to the crowd after qualifying for his home Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday but the Red Bull driver had little to smile about with 18th on the grid.
His championship-leading team mate Max Verstappen went on to bag a front row slot, emphasising the gulf in performance between the two.
Perez will hope to last longer on Sunday than in 2023, when he collided at the first corner and retired after 90 seconds, but he arrived at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit needing a strong showing and it has yet to materialise.
He was 10th, ninth and 14th respectively in the three practice sessions.
"Here is the worst place to not perform, I am super disappointed," he said.
"The Grand Prix where I wanted to do the best possible job, it is just not coming together.
"I hope tomorrow we can enter the points. I need to try and maximise the day, it is going to be very hard but I owe these fans, they are the best in the world, this is the best race in the world."
Perez is Mexico's most successful Formula One driver, winner of six races and twice on the podium in Mexico City with Red Bull.
He started the season strongly, with three second places and a third in the first five races, but his form has nose-dived since Miami in May with increasing speculation that his 2025 contract might prove meaningless.
While Verstappen has won seven races and scored 354 points, Perez has taken just 150 and Red Bull could lose second place in the constructors' championship to Ferrari on Sunday with Carlos Sainz on pole for the Italians and Charles Leclerc fourth.
Perez said he had suffered similar brake issues to the previous two races in Singapore and Austin.
"Into the low speed I cannot brake or stop the car and as soon as I attack the braking I start sliding and locking up," he explained.
"So that is my main issue and where I am struggling the most, here it showed even more.
"I am having to modulate the braking too much and just don’t have confidence in the car."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Franklin Paul)
