Sergio Perez Faces Another Setback at Qatar GP

Sergio Perez's troubles continued at the Qatar Grand Prix as he finished 16th in sprint qualifying, marking his early exit for the second consecutive weekend. He attributed this setback to a clash with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, which he believes cost him precious time, along with problems with the anti-roll bars on the RB20 that delayed his garage exit. This disappointing result adds to a challenging season for Perez, who has not reached the podium since April and faces growing speculation about his future with Red Bull, especially as he trails teammate Max Verstappen significantly in points.

Despite some indication of improvement following practice, where Perez was only narrowly 0.013 seconds away from advancing into the top 15, the incident with Leclerc proved costly. Verstappen, who qualified in sixth place, also grappled with car balance issues during the session. Both drivers now focus on enhancing their performance for the main Grand Prix, acknowledging the uphill battle ahead as they seek to reclaim their standings on the grid.