Perez: "We had some problems with the engine"

During FP1, Perez still drove the fourth fastest time, although he then had to stop his car just before the end of the session due to problems. In the second free practice session, Perez's RB18, like Max Verstappen's, underwent a relatively major tuning change.

Perez's fast runs were not entirely flawless. The 32-year-old driver even briefly hit the wall and had to return to his team as a result, again losing time. Speaking about his day, he told Sky Sports: "We had a few issues with the engine with its driveability. Then, we did a lot of set-up changes. So, a lot of information that we need to go through tonight and just pick up the best bits for tomorrow," Perez said.