Red Bull is facing a minor setback in their quest for a third consecutive 1-2 finish at the beginning of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Sergio Perez has been moved from third to sixth on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix due to impeding Nico Hulkenberg. The incident occurred during Q1 at the tight Turn 13 right-hander on the final part of the lap. The stewards determined that Hulkenberg was forced to slow down and brake early because Perez’s Red Bull was moving slower on the apex of the corner. Red Bull failed to warn Perez about Hulkenberg’s presence until it was too late to avoid the impeding.
As a result of the ruling, Perez’s position on the grid has dropped from third to sixth. This change in position has elevated Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri by one position each. Hulkenberg expressed his dissatisfaction with the incident after qualifying, suggesting that Perez was not paying attention and compared his actions to a “Mexican siesta.” However, Hulkenberg did not believe that Perez was the sole reason for his 16th place on the grid, as Haas had already encountered issues during an earlier run.
Perez, who has finished second to Verstappen in the previous two races of the 2024 F1 season, has always had to make up ground from a lower starting position. He began in fifth place in Bahrain and third place in Saudi Arabia. Despite the penalty, Perez believed that there was more potential in his qualifying performance in Australia. He acknowledged that his first sector was not great and that he failed to hook up the entire combination on his final attempt. However, Perez remained optimistic and looked forward to the race, anticipating a tough battle with Ferrari and the rest of the field due to high degradation. He believed that starting position was not a significant factor at the moment.