Sergio Perez overtaken by F1 rookie after embarrassing ERROR at Qatar Grand Prix

Sergio Perez, Checo Perez, Red Bull, Brazil, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Qatar Grand Prix

Perez overtaken by F1 rookie after embarrassing ERROR at Qatar Grand Prix

Sergio Perez made a serious blunder at the Qatar Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 30 November 2024 17:58

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Sergio Perez was overtaken by F1 rookie Franco Colapinto after the Mexican made an embarrassing error at the start of the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.

The Red Bull star has endured a woeful run of form in recent races, where he has made multiple Q1 exits and acquired eight points in the past four grands prix.

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Perez failed to improve his performances during sprint qualifying at the Qatar GP, where he once again failed to get out of SQ1 and started P16 on the grid.

The FIA then confirmed Perez would start the sprint race from the pitlane, due to suspension changes made to his RB20.

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Sergio Perez makes Qatar GP blunder

Not only was Perez forced to make a pitlane start, but so was Williams’ Franco Colapinto, who also changed his suspension, with the Red Bull star making a major blunder at the start of the sprint.

As the green light went out to signal the start of the race, Perez remained stationary before he slowly trundled out of the pitlane.

However, his slow start allowed Colapinto to creep past and overtake him for P19 before they even reached the race track, in an embarrassing blunder for Perez.

The 34-year-old finished the Qatar GP sprint in P20 and was the last of the remaining runners, after Red Bull pitted Perez to change his front wing.

Franco Colapinto gets the better of Sergio Perez in the pitlane

Colapinto has been touted as a possible replacement for Perez if he is dropped from Red Bull next season, where the Argentine will be a free-agent as he moves aside for Carlos Sainz at Williams in 2025.

Perez’s team-mate Max Verstappen managed to finish the sprint in P8, although the champion also suffered a difficult sprint race and was outscored by the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg who claimed P7.