Perez expects Verstappen to fight back, but will not think about him

Sergio Perez was the sole remaining Red Bull car in Q3, after Max Verstappen‘s qualifying run came to an abrupt end, when he suffered a driveshaft failure in Q2. The Dutchman is set to start the race way back in 15th position.

When asked about his teammate prospects in Sunday’s race Perez was adamant that Verstappen could easily come back and cause problems for the top running teams.

“I think we certainly have a good race car. I think it’s probably where we’re a little bit better than the competition,” the Mexican said in the post-qualifying Interviews.

“So many things can happen in a race, but I do expect Max to come back. Our race pace was very strong on Friday, so we’ll see.”

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“Hopefully for the team we’re able to come back and get maximum points. These weekends are very important; the competition is only going to get closer, so to be able to [get] maximum points will be important.”

But when asked if he feels a threat from the double-world champions, Perez shrugged off any possible dilemma and said his main focus is to keep the cars around him, like the resurgant Fernando Alonso, behind him.

“I’m not going to approach the race tomorrow thinking about Max. First of all, I have to make sure I’m able to keep the lead on the initial laps. If I’m able to do that, to keep this lion Alonso behind, it will be good,” he summed up.

The scenario of Verstappen starting at the back of the grid with a dominant car at his disposal certainly brings back memories from last year’s Belgium Grand Prix, where the Dutchman stormed through the field in an emphatic fashion, finishing the race a demoralizing 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Perez, having started P14 and regaining the lead of the race before the halfway stage, as early as lap 17.