In the Turkish Grand Prix, Sergio Perez found himself in controversy after colliding with Alexander Albon in the closing stages of the race. Perez, who was driving for Red Bull Racing at the time, made an aggressive move on the inside of Albon, resulting in contact between the two drivers. This incident led to a penalization for Perez and disappointment for Albon, who believed he had missed out on valuable points. This article aims to critically analyze the events that unfolded and provide a fresh perspective on the matter.
Perez’s attempt to overtake Albon took place at Turn 13, a sharp left-hander on the track. The Mexican driver made a late move up the inside, appearing to lunge at the Williams driver. Contact was made at the apex, causing Albon to be deflected off-line and forcing him to hit the brakes to avoid crashing into the outside wall. Both drivers were called in front of the FIA race stewards to discuss the incident.
After reviewing the evidence and hearing both drivers’ testimonies, the race stewards determined that Albon was not at fault for the collision. They reasoned that he had attempted to take the normal racing line through the corner and was unaware of Perez’s position. On the other hand, Perez’s move was described as an “optimistic late maneuver” that could be defined as “diving in.” It was concluded that Albon could not have done anything to avoid the collision. Consequently, Perez was deemed predominantly to blame and received a five-second penalty and a point added to his FIA superlicence.
Despite the penalty, Perez managed to retain his eighth-place position in the final classification. His nearest pursuer, AlphaTauri substitute Liam Lawson, finished 13 seconds behind, securing Perez’s position. Albon, however, was left disappointed as he believed valuable points were lost due to the collision. He was running in ninth place and was about to overtake Lawson for eighth when Perez dive-bombed him.
It is worth noting the involvement of Liam Lawson in the collision. The stewards acknowledged that the slower Kiwi driver played a part in encouraging Perez to attempt the overtake. Lawson, who was standing in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, caused Perez to believe that there was an opportunity to make the move. Therefore, the stewards determined that only one penalty point was appropriate for Perez, taking Lawson’s presence into consideration.
Another aspect of the incident was Albon’s alleged overtaking of Perez under virtual safety car conditions. Upon investigation, the stewards cleared Albon of any wrongdoing in this regard. Albon was returning to the circuit after making a pit stop, and it was found that the timing system could not definitively determine which car arrived at the second safety car line first. Video evidence also did not provide conclusive proof of the infringement. Both teams chose not to lobby for a penalty, and the stewards agreed with their decision.
In addition to the collision with Albon, Perez experienced other misfortunes throughout the race. He picked up damage to his front wing endplate on the first lap due to a collision with Yuki Tsunoda, forcing the AlphaTauri driver to retire from the race. Perez described his race as a “complete disaster” due to these incidents, expressing frustration with the blind spot situation with Tsunoda.
The incident between Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon in the Turkish Grand Prix was undoubtedly a significant moment in the race. Perez’s aggressive move resulted in contact and subsequent penalization. The stewards’ decision to hold Perez largely responsible for the collision may have disappointed Albon, who believed he had lost out on valuable points. However, it is essential to consider the overall circumstances and the role of Liam Lawson in the incident. These factors contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the events that unfolded on that fateful day in Istanbul.
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