Perez on his results: 'Found a bit of a different balance since Barcelona'

Sergio Perez had a strong start to the season, hoping to fight for the world title, but is 110 points behind team-mate and rival Max Verstappen after a major downwards spiral in terms of his form midway through the season. The Mexican argues that the car had changed from Spain.

The number three of the previous season finally made it to Q3 again in Hungary. Having failed to make the final qualifying session five race weekends in a row, the relief was great. "The margins were extremely close. So just being on the wrong tenth of it meant that I started P9 rather than being in the top four, top five. So I think in that regard it was positive. We saw it last weekend, I think, with George [Russell]. He was out of Q1 and Lewis [Hamilton] was on pole, so it can just happen to anyone out there."

Perez's dip in form

Perez hopes he can find his form again from now on. "We've made some good progress. We've had some good race pace in the last few races, but qualifying hasn't been going our way. I think it's just how it is through the year. Sometimes you have a bit of bad races, but it's important where we finish [in terms of the overall standings] in Abu Dhabi."

He said the six-time race winner's lower performance was partly to do with the car. "It has changed a bit in that regard. I think when we went to Barcelona, I found a bit of a different balance compared to what I wanted, but I think now we've come on top of that."