After only one corner on Sunday, Sergio Perez was forcefully removed from the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez has questioned the decision from the stewards to not investigate his first-lap crash with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in Monaco, which he dubbed a “massive incident”.
The Red Bull driver was climbing the hill after Sainte Devote but was tagged at the rear of his car by Magnussen, which sent Perez spearing into the barrier – making contact with the second Haas of Nico Hulkenberg in the process and knocking all three drivers out of contention.
Sergio Perez ‘very disappointed’ Kevin Magnussen contact was not investigated
Perez saw a huge amount of damage on his RB20 but was able to walk back to the garage after the impact, with Red Bull confirming he did not need to visit the medical centre for checks as a result of the impact.
However, what truly frustrated him was the FIA stewards’ decision to not investigate the incident, as incidents occurring on the first lap usually receive more lenient treatment.
However, Perez emphasized that his car had been “completely destroyed” and he considered it a “massive incident” that had occurred.
“After my retirement, I expressed to F1 TV that I lost a position to one of the Alfas [Sauber, sic]. It became evident that on the first lap, being in the correct position is crucial, as failing to do so inevitably leads to losing out.”
I was essentially moving away from the corner, and if you look at my onboard footage, you won’t see Kevin at any point.
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I found it rather surprising that he chose to downplay the situation at that moment, considering the excessive damage we had incurred.
We experienced an extremely perilous incident and were highly disappointed by the lack of investigation, considering its enormous scale.
My vehicle has been utterly demolished, and I am faced with extensive wreckage.
The weekend hasn’t been easy, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. However, I have full faith in my team, and I know that despite the challenges, we will bounce back even stronger.
The non-finish for Perez saw him fall to fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, with Charles Leclerc taking an emotional first victory at his home race and the Red Bull driver also falling behind the tallies of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz.
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