Psychological Struggles Plague Sergio Perez as He Fails to Qualify Beyond Q1 in Canadian Grand Prix

Sergio Perez, from the Red Bull Racing RB20 team, had a disappointing performance during the qualifying session of the Canadian Grand Prix. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko attributed Perez’s difficulties to psychological factors rather than issues with the car. Perez failed to advance beyond Q1 for the second consecutive race, with his final attempt failing and allowing Alex Albon’s Williams to overtake him. This is the third consecutive race in which Perez has not reached Q3, raising concerns about his ability to extract speed from the RB20. Despite Max Verstappen’s strong performance, matching George Russell’s pole time, Marko believes Perez’s difficulties are self-inflicted. Perez himself acknowledged the lack of rear grip in his Red Bull, especially compared to his performance in the final practice session. He described the experience as a “total disaster” and attributed it to problems with the rear axle. Perez also suggested that his tire preparation was compromised due to a late pit stop, leaving him with only one lap to salvage his hopes. He expressed frustration with the slow activation of the tires and his inability to complete a proper lap.