The Mexican finished the Q3 session 0.358 seconds off Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Carlos Sainz all just pipping him.
Perez heads into this season knowing that he has to perform in order to retain his Red Bull seat for 2025 and beyond.
Despite his campaign getting off to a frustrating start, he remains optimistic after Red Bull’s testing promise translated into a comfortable pole for Verstappen.
"Yeah, definitely,” he said when asked by Autosport if the world champion’s pace was encouraging.
“It's been a positive day for the for the team. From my side, I messed up Turn 1, and lost a tenth and a bit. And that was enough to take me from probably P2 or P3. We've seen the gaps.
“It was also a shame that we lost the second set into Q2 without a need. We ended up aborting. It was already a scrubbed tyre, but anyway, plenty of things to look forward for tomorrow."
Perez says he feels more comfortable with the RB20 than its predecessor, having struggled to match Verstappen for much of last year.
"I feel there is good potential, and there is good understanding,” he said. “I think we're making good progress. It's the first time we've run it at such a light fuel, and even through qualifying we were making some good progress.
“It's a shame that in the end we didn't get to show it. But I think we are in a much better position, and also our race pace is better. So let's see where we end up tomorrow."
Source: Autosport