Pérez needs pole position in France to avoid negative record

Sergio Pérez was heavily criticised at the start of the season for his performance at Red Bull Racing, but he showed his qualities during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mexican crossed the finish line first and celebrated his first victory for Red Bull. However, a painful record hangs over him during the French GP.

The team mate of Max Verstappen has never started from pole position in the last 199 races. Although the Mexican driver drove several strong qualifying sessions in recent years, he never managed to set the fastest time. Pérez' performance is unique, because never before has a driver taken so long to start from the front.

The race in Baku gave Red Bull hope for the future two weeks ago. With Pérez the Austrian team hopes to have an extra asset in its hands, which it can use for the strategy during the race. Verstappen too has spoken out several times in the past about the importance of a good second driver in a team.