“I was already busy getting the car better” - Max Verstappen shows no remorse over Sergio Perez’s qualifying woes 

Max Verstappen has stated that he is unconcerned about Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez’s qualifying woes.

Perez had a tough time in qualifying at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. He failed to get out of Q2 and will start the race on Sunday, June 18, from P12. Canada has become Perez's third consecutive race starting outside the top 10, after having started P11 in Spain and P20 in Monaco earlier.

Verstappen, on the other hand, will be starting at the front in Montreal after making it two consecutive pole positions in Canada.

Verstappen currently leads the Drivers' Championship by 53 points and no driver in Formula 1 history has managed to overturn such a deficit. Speaking to Dutch media after the race, the two-time reigning world champion said that he was concentrating on himself and paying no attention to Perez's woes.

"Well, if I hadn't been there it would have looked very different for Red Bull. I wouldn't be happy with not making Q3 three times in a row. I'm not concerned about it either. I'm busy enough on my side of the garage getting everything in order. I pay all my attention to that," he said. (via racingnews365)

"The team must be working on that maybe, but you have to ask them. On Friday, of course, I was already busy getting the car better, so then I'm not going to think about that. It's not my problem," he added.

---

Sergio Perez has underperformed this season according to broadcaster Tom Clarkson

Sergio Perez had started the 2023 F1 season on a positive note, winning two of the first four races. Miami onwards, however, the momentum has shifted. Max Verstappen has won all three consecutive races, a period where Perez faltered in Monaco and Spain.

F1 Nation podcast host Tom Clarkson believes that Perez has underperformed this season. He further stated that he needs to show serious improvements or risk getting replaced by someone like Lando Norris, who has been courted multiple times by Red Bull Racing.

"I think Perez has underperformed and I think you only get to the top in elite sport, any sport but especially Formula 1, where you have to be competitive with yourself. It’s all about achieving at the highest level and Perez has been left wanting and that, as you say, creates pressure, especially when you have drivers like Lando Norris, who have flirted with Red Bull in the past," he opined.