Perez knows where he lost time: 'That's where I messed up'

In any case, the fact that Verstappen is on pole shows that the RB20 has plenty of performance. Not only during races, but also in qualifying. "Yeah, definitely. It's been a positive day for the team. From my side, I messed up Turn 1, lost a tenth and a bit, and that was enough to take me from probably P2 or P3. So, yeah, we've seen the gaps."

Speaking to GPblog and others, he continued: "It was also a shame that we lost the second set into Q2 without a need. We ended up aborting, but it was already a scrap tyre. But anyway, plenty of things to look forward to for tomorrow."

What is the biggest difference from the RB19 at the moment, according to Perez? "I think the entry stability. It's a step better. It's obviously still a Red Bull car, but I think it's where we've taken a good step."

Perez more confident

Perez spent dozens of hours in the simulator last winter to get a better feel for the Red Bull. As a result, he feels more confident and comfortable than in 2023. "Yes, definitely. I think we've started the season strongly. The result might not show it, but it's just a matter of putting everything together. We are in a good position for tomorrow, you know, having that flexibility with the softs, with the good tyres, you know, for tomorrow."

The 34-year-old routine driver knows it is crowded towards the front of the grid. "Yes, it's really, really close, the battle out there. So, let's see tomorrow. I think tomorrow we will still learn a lot, all of us. So it's important to complete the race, the race distance, and then go from there."