Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon found themselves in the spotlight as they faced the race stewards’ scrutiny over two contentious incidents at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The high-octane clash, which took place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, left fans on the edge of their seats, and the stewards had their hands full sorting through the on-track drama.
Sergio Perez incurred a five-second time penalty after race stewards determined that he was “predominantly to blame” for colliding with Alexander Albon.
The incident unfolded during the closing laps of the race when Perez, piloting his Red Bull Racing car, attempted an audacious manoeuvre on the inside of Albon’s Williams at Turn 13.
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However, the Mexican driver misjudged the move and collided with Albon’s car, forcefully pushing it off the racing line.
Stewards described Perez’s manoeuvre as “optimistic,” suggesting that it could be seen as a daring dive, while also acknowledging that Albon had no viable means to avoid the impending collision.
Despite the penalty, Perez’s finishing position remained unchanged at eighth place.
Additionally, he was issued one penalty point on his super license for his role in the incident.
Stewards took into consideration that Perez’s decision to make the risky move may have been influenced by the presence of a slower car, Liam Lawson, ahead of them, leading to the controversial collision.
The second incident that drew the stewards’ attention occurred when both Perez and Albon crossed the Safety Car 2 line during the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car, necessitated by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine encountering trouble on the track.
The timing system revealed that Albon was exiting the pit lane at the same time Perez was on the track, resulting in a simultaneous crossing of the line.
However, the system was unable to definitively determine which driver had crossed it first, creating a contentious situation.
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Team representatives from both sides argued that no penalties should be applied due to the absence of “definitive” information regarding the incident.
Ultimately, the stewards concurred with this assessment, opting not to penalise either driver for the Safety Car crossing.
Alexander Albon, despite avoiding further penalties, concluded the race in 11th place, while Sergio Perez was left to reflect on a dramatic race day that saw both impressive overtakes and costly clashes.