The Japanese Grand Prix witnessed a whirlwind of events for Sergio Perez, as the Mexican driver endured a rollercoaster race filled with incidents, penalties, and an unprecedented return to the track.
From contact with fellow racers to serving multiple penalties, Perez’s day at Suzuka was anything but ordinary.
The chaos began right from the start when Perez found himself boxed in and made contact with both Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
These early collisions set the tone for a challenging race ahead.
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To compound his troubles, Perez received a five-second penalty for a Safety Car infringement, further complicating his prospects on the circuit.
The drama didn’t end there. Later in the race, Perez was involved in another collision, this time with Kevin Magnussen, earning him yet another five-second penalty.
With two penalties on his plate, Perez had no choice but to retire from the race temporarily to serve his initial penalty.
In an unusual turn of events, the Red Bull driver, with a car that had already been retired once, made a remarkable return to the race for a brief stint.
Explaining this decision, Perez revealed, “We fixed the car, and we had a penalty to serve, so we did that. We wanted to serve it here.”
Perez’s first penalty was served during his second pit stop, prompted by the earlier safety car infringement.
However, fate seemed determined to challenge Perez once more when he collided with Kevin Magnussen, leading to his second five-second penalty.
To avoid a grid penalty in Qatar, Perez had to make a second appearance at the Suzuka Circuit, highlighting the complexities and consequences of Formula 1 rules.
Reflecting on the turbulent race, Sergio Perez expressed his disappointment, stating, “It was a disaster.
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“It all started with the start.
“As soon as I released the clutch, there was no traction at all, so, I went into massive wheel spin.
“Then I was a passenger going into Turn 1 with Hamilton and Sainz on my side, and they basically just took my front wing off, and I had a lot of damage.”