The Azerbaijan Grand Prix had its fair share of drama and chaos, with one incident in particular stealing the spotlight. A collision between Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon left both drivers frustrated and the race stewards busy analyzing the situation. Let’s delve into the details of the incident and assess the blame game that unfolded.
The Incident
Perez, aiming for a strong finish, attempted an overtaking move on Albon on the inside of Turn 13. Unfortunately, the maneuver didn’t go as planned, resulting in contact between the two drivers. Albon, thrown off his racing line, had to brake abruptly to avoid crashing into the outside wall. As a result, Perez was deemed predominantly at fault by the FIA race stewards, leading to a five-second penalty and a point added to his FIA superlicence.
Upon reviewing the incident, the stewards categorized Perez’s move as an “optimistic late maneuver.” They highlighted that Albon was unaware of Perez’s precise location and attempted to take the normal racing line through the corner. Consequently, they concluded that there was little Albon could have done to prevent the collision. The penalty and point handed to Perez reflected this assessment.
Points Lost for Albon
For Albon, the collision cost him valuable championship points. Prior to the incident, he was running in ninth place and on track to overtake Liam Lawson for the eighth position. The collision with Perez resulted in Albon dropping to 13th place, ultimately finishing in the 11th position. Albon expressed his disappointment, feeling that points were lost due to the collision.
While the focus was primarily on Perez and Albon, the stewards acknowledged the presence of Liam Lawson in the clash. They believed that Perez’s decision to attempt the overtake was influenced by Lawson’s slower pace. As a result, only one penalty point was attributed to Perez. It is worth noting that Lawson finished further behind, crossing the line 13 seconds after Perez, allowing the Mexican driver to retain his eighth-place finish.
Amidst the chaos, Albon faced allegations of overtaking Perez under virtual safety car (VSC) conditions. However, upon investigation, the stewards cleared Albon of any wrongdoing. They deemed that the timing system was unable to definitively determine which driver arrived at the second safety car line first. Inconclusive video evidence further supported the decision. Consequently, Albon was not penalized, offering some respite amidst the disappointment of the collision.
Perez’s race day went from bad to worse as he faced multiple setbacks. In addition to the collision with Albon, Perez suffered damage to his front wing endplate on the first lap due to a collision with Yuki Tsunoda. The incident forced Tsunoda out of the race and hampered Perez’s chances of a strong finish. Reflecting on the chaos, Perez labeled his race as a “complete disaster.”
The collision between Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sparked controversy and frustration. While Perez was found to be predominantly at fault, the stewards acknowledged the influence of Liam Lawson’s presence in the clash. As the drivers move forward from this incident, they are left to contemplate what could have been and focus on future races where they may have a chance to secure valuable points.
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