Hulkenberg had qualified third behind Nico Rosberg but the Merecdes driver copped a gear box penalty that pushed the Force India driver to front row.
Force India has enjoyed only one Pole position in its Formula One history when Giancarlo Fisichella secured pole at 2009 Belgian Grand Prix and finished second.
Hulkenberg was under investigation for going too fast through a yellow flag in Q1 but the team was confident that stewards would not punish him.
Perez, who stood on podium in the last race, suffered a suspension failure which compromised his qualifying.
