Sergio Perez: I went into the corner too fast

Max Verstappen has qualified at home for the Dutch Grand Prix and will start from pole for the fourth time this season. His Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez set the fifth fastest time – in a decisive attempt, the Mexican rider turned around exiting Turn 13, leading to the appearance of yellow flags.

Max Verstappen (1st): “Unbelievable! Yesterday we had a difficult day, but the whole team worked hard and managed to change the situation – we played well. Today the car was fast and it was a pleasure to drive – the qualifying lap was insane.

I know the race will be an exciting battle, but if we don’t make a mistake with the tyres, we have a good chance tomorrow.

The atmosphere on the track is great. I hope the fans have a great time – I feel their support and I hear them all over the track.”

Sergio Perez (5th): “I attacked on the limit on the last lap of the qualifying final and I went over the limit – it’s a shame this happened. I went into the last corner too fast, but luckily the car was not damaged. I pressed the accelerator early, caught the grass and turned. Before that the circle went well – I even rode with improvement, but in the end I lost everything.

I have fifth position at the start, but it is much more important to have a fast race pace. The setup changes we made after yesterday worked and in the third session of the long series I had good pace. I hope that tomorrow I can regain several positions and measure myself against the leaders.

I think it will be a very tight fight between us, Mercedes and Ferrari, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “The best athletes at their peak can improve under pressure, and that’s exactly what Max did. He gains experience, matures and adds. This year he proved that he can perform brilliantly.

Charles Leclerc set the bar very high, but despite the enormous pressure, Max set a perfect lap. The gap turned out to be minimal, but even such an advantage is important for tomorrow’s race.

I have always said that the result depends on teamwork. We worked hard and hard – calculations and sessions on the simulator continued late into the night at the base in Milton Keynes.

Too bad Sergio couldn’t finish his last lap. He drove fast and claimed a second row position, but even from fifth position he will be able to put a fight on Charles and Carlos Sainz. Mercedes drivers are also competitive at this stage – they have nothing to lose, so they will attack with all their might. We have all the ingredients for an exciting battle tomorrow.”