After completing only one corner on Sunday, Sergio Perez was forcefully removed from the Monaco Grand Prix.
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko is keeping an extra close watch on rivals Ferrari and McLaren, as the “worst case” scenario after Sergio Perez’s Monaco shunt could see them “handicapped” in the F1 2024 development war.
After being unexpectedly eliminated in Q1, Perez faced a significant amount of work to be done on the streets of Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, his race was cut short on the first lap when he collided with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas while ascending the hill out of Sainte Devote. This resulted in a massive crash, but fortunately, Perez escaped unharmed.
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Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Perez’s RB20 was the only car that survived the collision, while Magnussen and his Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg were also involved in the crash, which was considered a racing incident by the stewards. Consequently, no penalties were given out.
Red Bull though were left to count the costs of that collision, which Marko, speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com, placed between $2.5m and $3m, as Red Bull assess the extent of any damage to the gearbox and power unit.
In the era of cost capping in Formula 1, the budget limit for F1 2024 has been set at $135m. Marko expressed concerns about how this will impact Red Bull in terms of long-term upgrades and parts production. He highlighted that Ferrari and McLaren will play a crucial role in determining the strain on Red Bull’s resources.
Red Bull finds itself in a challenging situation as both McLaren and Ferrari have made significant progress in narrowing the gap. Lando Norris secured a victory in Miami, while Charles Leclerc emerged victorious in the Monaco Grand Prix. In light of these achievements, Red Bull may need to devise a supplementary strategy to counter these teams in the ongoing F1 2024 development race. Marko acknowledges that Red Bull is somewhat disadvantaged in this process.
Marko commented on the Perez crash bill, stating, “This has a direct impact on us as we need to decide what to do with the car. Our considerations are now lacking three million.”
“In the most unfavorable scenario, this implies a reduction in our development activities.”
It is evident that we are at a disadvantage if we are required to exert additional efforts due to the heightened competitiveness of Ferrari and McLaren.
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Red Bull cannot control what Ferrari and McLaren do from this point onward, but Marko emphasized that another incident would have significant consequences for their side.
His warning stated that if there were to be another crash, both cars would not have everything intact.
Perez, who hasn’t achieved a podium finish since the Chinese Grand Prix, has now fallen to fifth place in the Drivers’ Championship. Additionally, Ferrari has managed to narrow the gap to Red Bull at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, bringing it down to a mere 24 points.
In light of the tougher competition, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the necessity of having Perez fight alongside Max Verstappen at the forefront.
Horner, when questioned by media including PlanetF1.com about Perez’s Monaco performance, stated that the weekend has been quite tough for him.
Yeah, of course, it’s essential for us to ensure that both cars are scoring points up there, as we can’t overlook the threat posed by Ferrari and McLaren in both championships.
Verstappen will be aiming for his third consecutive victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve when the Canadian Grand Prix takes place.
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