Sergio Perez warns 'a small mistake' could 'make a huge difference' at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP

Sergio Perez says “small mistakes” at the Monaco GP could have a huge impact on whether a driver can finish the race.

Due to the track being incredibly narrow with very few run-off areas, Perez believes the drivers will need to be incredibly precise at all times and cannot afford to make mistakes. Speaking before Friday's practice for the 2022 F1 Monaco GP, he said:

“It’s a track where it’s full of challenges. Until you finish the race, you [don’t] know you finish it, because at any point you can make a small mistake where in a regular circuit it would not impact at all your result, but here, it makes a huge difference, you know. So, being committed, being patient, being precise, it always pays off here. But you have to build up confidence to the weekend from FP1 already. So, track time here is very important. I look forward to it.”

The Monaco GP is one of the toughest races on the F1 calendar due to the sheer amount of concentration that is required of the drivers. Some believe that a dry race in Monte Carlo is comparable to a wet race on conventional tracks, given the high risk of mistakes.

Average speeds around Monte Carlo barely exceed more than 100 mph (160 kmph), yet the circuit is incredibly punishing due to the lack of run-off areas.

With the new cars this year, the difficulty is expected to increase, given that the 2022 regulations have increased the mass of the cars by nearly 100 kg, while significantly reducing downforce.

Sergio Perez, however, believes the circuit is still extremely rewarding when drivers perform well and says that he is excited about qualifying. He said:

“I think Q3 we are all very excited. We all feel like we can make the difference in Q3. That’s why the drivers love this place.”

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Sergio Perez expects Ferrari to be “extremely competitive” in qualifying

Sergio Perez believes the Ferrari F1-75’s ability to better deal with kerbs and bumps will serve as an advantage to the Scuderia around Monte Carlo in qualifying.

He expects the Italian team to be incredibly competitive on Saturday but hopes that Red Bull can hit back and challenge for the win on race day. He said:

“We believe Ferrari is going to be particularly strong in this place. They’re very strong in the low speed. Their ride over the curves is very good. I expect them to be very competitive here. But we’ll see. I think after today we will have a bit more of an idea if we are able to challenge them tomorrow.”

F1’s switch to low-profile 18-inch tires, combined with a ban on complex hydraulic suspensions this season, has left many teams struggling to set up their cars on street circuits.

Forced to use conventional suspensions, teams no longer have fine control over their cars’ ability to deal with kerbs and bumps. This has led to many teams having to compromise on performance, just to make their cars more driver-friendly.