After being eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year in Monte Carlo, Sergio Perez found himself involved in an accident on the first lap, ruining his hopes of a strong recovery.
Perez faced even more humiliation when photos emerged of Monaco Grand Prix officials posing with the wreckage of his RB20 car.
The crash occurred when Perez collided with Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg at the start of the race.
Perez’s weekend in Monaco was an absolute disaster. The 34-year-old driver, who had won there in 2022, experienced another disappointment.
After being eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year in Monte Carlo, Perez was involved in a collision on the first lap, destroying his chances of a strong recovery.
The incident occurred when Magnussen made contact with the rear right of Perez as they approached Beau Rivage, causing both cars to collide with the barriers at high speed.
Perez’s impact was significant, resulting in a red flag. Helmut Marko later estimated that the accident cost Red Bull over £2 million.
To make matters worse, track marshals at the Monaco GP were seen taking a group selfie with the destroyed RB20 after the track had been cleared. Video footage also showed the violent nature of the accident, with debris flying towards nearby photographers.
Despite the extensive damage, the stewards deemed the contact to be a typical incident that often occurs on the first lap of a race and took no further action.
This decision angered the Red Bull team, who blamed Magnussen for attempting an impossible maneuver.
“If you watch the images from my point of view, you won’t see Kevin’s car anywhere near me, not even close. And you can see that the wall is getting closer and closer,” explained Perez.
“To continue at high speed, there was only one option, and that was to make contact with my car or with the barrier.
“There simply wasn’t enough space for both cars, and at some point, he had to realize that. I’ve been in this situation before and often, when you’re the car behind, you need to realize it’s time to back off before things get even closer.”
Marko was also surprised by the decision, stating: “I was surprised by how quickly the incident was dismissed. First of all, it was dangerous and secondly, the damage to us amounts to two or three million euros.
“Considering the budget limit, this is a major setback.”
