Eleven years and 214 races after making his Formula One debut, Sergio Perez will on Sunday be the first Mexican to start from pole position when he lines up for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix thanks to the “lap of my life”. Exactly 11 years to the day since his first outing in Melbourne, Perez will bid for his third victory after out-pacing his Red Bull team-mate world champion Max Verstappen and both Ferraris in a dramatic qualifying on Saturday.
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“Unbelievable! Yes! Definitely a great achievement for me,” he enthused.
“I am so pleased. This was something very really nice and really special too. The lap of my life at the place where it is most difficult to do qualifying.”
The 32-year-old Guadalajara-born Mexican added: “It took me a few laps, no? But what a lap. I can do 1,000 laps, but I won’t beat that one. It is unbelievable.
“We were actually focussing on the race because we thought the Ferraris had the upper hand on us in qualifying so it is extra special.
“It is the most difficult qualifying of the season here because you have to be so precise and the risk reward is so high, extremely high. You can’t make any mistakes.
“Throughout my lap, I was trying so hard to make it a perfect lap. It is extremely hard, but I did it and this was the best lap of my life.”
Perez will line up with Ferrari’s early championship leader Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row on Sunday and Carlos Sainz and Verstappen behind on the second.
After last Sunday’s double DNF (did not finish), the two Red Bull men are very keen to score their first points of the season.
“Whatever he had for lunch, breakfast and dinner last night, we’re going to give him the same tomorrow,” said team principal Christian Horner.
“That was a phenomenal performance from him and I’m just so, so happy for him.
“He’s worked incredibly hard and I think the car this year is more suited to his style. It’s not quite as quirky as last year’s car and he’s done a great job here.”
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