Sergio Perez to be "aggressive" with Lando Norris in bid to make Styrian GP strategy work

Perez in zijn red bull in oostenrijk — Photo: © LAT Images

Styrian Grand Prix

Perez to be "aggressive" with Norris in bid to make Styrian GP strategy work

McLaren and Red Bull driver start third and fourth

Ian Parkes

Saturday 26 June 2021 20:14

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Sergio Perez has vowed to be "aggressive" with Lando Norris at the start of the Styrian Grand Prix in a bid to put pressure on Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

Perez starts from fourth on the grid at the Red Bull Ring, with McLaren's Norris third and providing a buffer between the Mexican and the title-chasing front-row duo.

Perez knows if he can pass Norris quickly he has an opportunity to make his strategy pay dividends as he starts on the soft tyre compared to pole-sitter Verstappen and Hamilton who are on the medium compound.

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"The aim is to clear Lando as soon as possible to make sure we are in the race with the leaders soon enough," said Perez.

"So that's the main target, to make the most out of our strategy. I'll be as aggressive as needed to get my track position where I need to be."

As to why he opted to get through Q2 on the soft tyre, Perez added: "We thought it was a better strategy.

"If you can make it work it can be a good strategy but obviously, it requires a lot of management and things to make it work, but we believe that's the fastest way to the end."

Perez feels he should have been on front row

Perez believed a front-row start "was possible" but due to using an extra set of soft tyres to get through Q1 it affected Q3 as he only had one new set of the red-striped rubber available.

"We had to use an extra set that compromised the whole qualifying, and that made things a lot worse," assessed Perez.

"Q3 run one was with a scrubbed set, so that lap was pretty strong, it looked really good, but then on the new set, I think I was a bit on the cooler side with the out lap and I lost more than a tenth and a half out of turn one with a big moment.

"And a tenth and a half on my time I would definitely have been P2, so not ideal just having one set of tyres for Q3 but it was a price we had to pay."