Sergio Pérez struggled on Saturday on the Method 1 Monaco Grand Prix, as he was eradicated within the first section of qualifying. Given the difficulties related to attempting to overhaul on the tight Monte Carlo streets, he confronted an uphill battle to try to get into the factors.
That battle ended on the opening lap, as Pérez was concerned in a large three-car accident with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg that drew a crimson flag and precipitated substantial injury to all three vehicles.
Footage of the incident led many to consider {that a} penalty can be coming for Magnussen, who’s simply two penalty factors on his Tremendous License away from a one-race ban. Nevertheless, race officers shortly determined the incident didn’t benefit additional investigation, leaving the Pink Bull driver incredulous.
“It’s lap one. I misplaced a place to one of many [Saubers] and clearly it’s lap one, it’s simply essential should you’re not in the suitable place, mechanically you’re going to finish up dropping,” stated Pérez to F1.com after his race got here to an early finish.
“I used to be getting out of the nook … on my onboard there is no such thing as a level the place you see Kevin and I used to be simply fairly stunned that he saved it flat at that time, as a result of it was simply very pointless. We had numerous injury, we had a really harmful incident. It was a large incident, and my automobile is totally destroyed.
“I’m very disillusioned that it didn’t get investigated as a result of it was a large incident,”
From his perspective, Magnussen put the blame on Pérez, making the case that the Pink Bull driver left him no room alongside the barrier, and that he had nowhere to go.
“I believe I used to be with my entrance alongside Perez’s rear, from the exit of Flip 1 on the run as much as Flip 3. He goes in the direction of the wall, the wall comes a bit bit again in the direction of the monitor, and I had nowhere to go,” stated Magnussen to F1.com.
“I don’t know if he didn’t see me or what, however I can’t simply disappear out of the blue. I made contact with the wall and him on the identical time, and sadly we had a crash. It’s all the time irritating. Additionally a crash like it is a huge value for the crew, by way of spare elements and having to make new elements – numerous work for the fellows. It’s by no means good.”
You possibly can see the collision from a number of angles right here:
The third driver concerned within the incident, Hülkenberg, actually had nowhere to go and was swept up within the collision. That vantage level might have been pricey so far as his race, however gave him maybe the very best view of the preliminary collision.
The Haas driver took a fairly diplomatic stance in his personal feedback to F1.com.
“Upset… Gutted, to be sincere,” he defined to the media after his race ended.. “To be out after 500 [meters] is clearly removed from very best – additionally each [Haas] vehicles out.
“I obtained taken out by an incident that I wasn’t immediately concerned in, however clearly it’s fairly slim right here, going as much as Flip 3. An enormous disgrace, issues have been getting too tight there. I believe considerably a racing incident … It appeared perhaps a bit optimistic from Kevin, however I don’t know, [Pérez] might have additionally perhaps seen him and left room, so unlucky, clearly, the end result.”
Maybe including to the confusion was the truth that whereas this incident was waved off by race officers, a collision between teammates Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon on the opening lap noticed Ocon penalized.
Will Buxton was certainly one of many questioning the totally different choices:
Don’t actually perceive how there was no investigation into Perez/Hulk/Magazine however Ocon will get a 5 place drop. Both first laps have leniency or they don’t. Bit bizarre.
— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) Might 26, 2024
You will be positive we’ve not heard the final of it concerning these two incidents.
