British Grand Prix starting grid changed as Mercedes aim to hold off Max Verstappen threat
George Russell will be desperate to keep Max Verstappen and co at bay during the British Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez will start the British Grand Prix from the pit lane. The Red Bull driver qualified in P19 following a disastrous session, so his team have taken the opportunity to change multiple key components on his RB20.
The 34-year-old now has a brand new internal combustion engine, energy store, control electronics and new exhaust system in his RB20, alleviating some of the pressure on his allocation for the remainder of the season.
For Perez, however, the focus remains on the short-term. Reports emerged ahead of qualifying on Saturday claiming that the Mexican is in danger of losing his seat mid-season with Daniel Ricciardo waiting in the wings for a surprise return to Red Bull.
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Checo, therefore, headed into qualifying with all eyes on his performance. In response, he ran off into the gravel in Q1, beaching his Red Bull and bringing his afternoon to a premature end.
When the chequered flag waved at the end of Q1, only Pierre Gasly, who himself carries a 50-place grid penalty into the Grand Prix, sat below Perez on the timing tower.
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Despite his woes, Perez remains defiant. "I'm fully focused on my job," he professed after qualifying. "I'm fully focused on getting the performance out of myself, the form that I know where I can be.
"I've been in this business for long enough so I exactly know what to do and how to turn things around. I will not give up. I will turn this one around."
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He later denied that he was sweating over his future at Red Bull. "Like I said, I have a contract with the team and I will turn things around," he continued.
"It's not something that distracts me or anything like that. It's done and dusted. I just want to get back to my form, and focus on the important things."
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton starts second on the grid behind team-mate George Russell, while Max Verstappen is aiming to cut through the field from P4 after limping through Q3 with floor damage on Saturday.