In a disappointing turn of events at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez left his team principal, Christian Horner, speechless as he crashed his car during the morning practice session.
The incident occurred when the Mexican driver dropped his tire on the grass at the entrance of turn five, causing his car to spin 180 degrees and collide forcefully with the tire barrier.
The impact was severe, ripping off the front left tire and prematurely ending Perez’s FP1 session just six minutes after it began.
As Horner observed the replays of the accident from the pit wall, he was seen rubbing his chin with a bewildered expression, struggling to comprehend the unfortunate turn of events.
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Former Mercedes test driver and Sky Sports commentator, Anthony Davidson, commented on Horner’s reaction, stating, “I think Christian Horner’s face says a million words here.
“I mean, what can you say to that? So early in the session.”
Davidson also analysed the crash, noting the treacherous nature of the circuit, where drivers must remain vigilant at all times due to its narrow and demanding layout.
“These barriers found Sergio Perez pretty hard indeed on the exit of five,” Davidson remarked.
“This track you have to have your eyes everywhere. It is narrow, it comes at you thick and fast, and I’m amazed he was pushing so hard so soon.
“I know you want to get up to speed as quickly as possible, but this is qualifying kind of stuff.
“Taking the car to the edge of the track…it just looked like he’s pushing right to the extremes and more so of what the track’s got to offer.”
The incident led to an immediate red flag, halting the session while marshals cleared away the debris scattered on the run-off area.
Perez, addressing his mistake via team radio, expressed his disbelief, stating, “I cannot believe this.”
Perez’s recent performances have been subpar, with a string of qualifying mishaps and failures to reach Q3 in the past five events.
Adding to the pressure, Daniel Ricciardo’s potential promotion to a race seat at AlphaTauri raised concerns about Perez’s future with the top team.
Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz explained that while the damage to Perez’s car could be repaired by the skilled mechanics, the incident might have lasting effects on the driver’s mentality throughout the rest of the race weekend.
The team had some spares available, but their limited quantity could increase the pressure on Perez, knowing that any further mishaps would be costly.
“They would have had spares but not that many of them,” Kravitz noted.
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“I think they will be able to rebuild Perez’s car to the same standard and to the same upgrade level as it left the garage.
“But, how steady will Perez have to be then for the rest of the weekend knowing he then can’t afford any more?
“There probably aren’t too many spares beyond that.”