“It was the same ****** issue again”: Sergio Perez’s nightmare Saturday comes to a tragic end as he runs into the gravel in qualifying

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez's race weekend at the ongoing F1 Australian GP went from bad to worse as he went out of Q1 after beaching his RB19 in the gravel at the Albert Park Circuit.

The winner of the Saudi Arabian GP last time out, Perez, has not gotten to grips with the track this season and was seen going off in the gravel during the practice sessions ahead of qualifying as well. However, his trip to the gravels in Turn 3 in Q1 proved to be costly and sent him out of the session.

Sergio Perez was too eager to set a lap time in a frantic Q1 session with all the drivers trying to get a lap in the session with the threat of rain looming in. The Mexican was frustrated with his car and expressed his feelings over the radio.

He said:

"We need to solve that issue man. It was the same **** issue again."

Post Checo's skirmish, the session was red-flagged as his RB19 was taken from the gravels.

"Seems like a skill issue to me" - F1 fans give their verdict on Sergio Perez's Q1 exit

F1 fans were not pleased with the Red Bull driver's inability to challenge his world champion teammate Max Verstappen in Melbourne after his Q1 exit.

One fan even mentioned that the issue wasn't with Perez's car but his skillset, saying:

"Seems like a skill issue to me"

Here are some more reactions:

It would be fascinating to see if Sergio Perez can recover tomorrow and make his way up the grid from the back of the grid, starting P20. The mistake will not only damage his chances of winning a maiden race in Australia but might also put a dent in his championship aspirations.

The momentum has now shifted back towards the reigning double world champion Verstappen, who will be Red Bull's only hope for a pole position for tomorrow's race.