SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) – Sergio Perez will start Sunday’s British Grand Prix from the pitlane as the last driver on track after Red Bull changed his car’s engine and power unit elements.
The Mexican is suffering a startling loss of form and qualified only 19th after spinning off in the first phase of Saturday’s session.
Team mate and triple Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, who has an 81 point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris after 11 of 24 races, starts fourth.
The Dutch driver struggled with a damaged car in qualifying but Red Bull replaced the floor with a spare.
The champions need Perez to score strongly, with Ferrari 64 points behind in the constructors’ championship, while Mercedes and McLaren are picking up speed with both drivers.
While Perez has scored a mere 15 points from the last five races, Norris has bagged 73 and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri 71 in that same period.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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