Perez blames Giovinazzi for missing out on Turkish GP F1 pole

Sergio Perez says Antonio Giovinazzi cost him a shot of scoring his maiden F1 pole position in Turkey.

Perez was first of drivers to use the intermediates in Q3 and it proved to be decisive as the Mexican stormed to provisional pole position ahead of Max Verstappen.

The Mexican dropped to third after Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll claimed pole ahead of Verstappen.

Perez was on a better lap as the chequered flag fell but spun at Turn 7 while trying to overtake the Alfa Romeo of Giovinazzi.

Reflecting on his best qualifying result of the season, Perez believes Giovinazzi cost him any chance of securing pole position.

“My final lap was going really well, a very strong first sector, but I got caught out with Giovinazzi and that was it really. I tried to overtake him but I just simply lost the rear end into Turn 7, spun out and there was nothing more I could do.

“The call was good in the beginning to stay on the inter - I think the inter worked really well for us - but I think just the timing there at the end with the track getting a lot better in the final stages kept us from pole. But on the other hand, it’s a great result for the team and hopefully tomorrow we can make it into a lot of points for us.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Perez thinks third is a better place to start than second as it's on the gripper racing line.

“I think we’re in a great position,” Perez added. “I definitely prefer third to second. I think tomorrow, at the start, that will be a big difference.”