Perez hopes to challenge Verstappen: 'Had a little problem with the car'

Sergio Perez can be satisfied with second and third times respectively in VT1 and VT2 in Saudi Arabia, although he had to concede a few tenths to his teammate Max Verstappen each time. The Mexican noted that there was a mechanical problem at play on Friday, which he hopes his team will be able to fix before qualifying.

After the second Friday session, Perez says he learned a lot about track conditions. "They always tend to change," the Red Bull Racing driver said in conversation with Sky Sports. "Learning the new grip was essential."

Perez had to concede five tenths to Verstappen in the first free practice session. In FP2, he crept closer and approached to within three tenths, but had to beat Fernando Alonso. Partly, according to the Mexican, this was due to a mechanical problem. "We had a bit of an issue with the car mechanically which hopefully we can sort out for tomorrow. That will hopefully bring us a bit more speed," he continued.

"At least we can have a better idea of where the car is. it was difficult to get a proper read today. Overall, we seem to be strong but the competition is there as expected" concluded the 33-year-old Mexican.