The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix lived up to its reputation for thrilling, high-stakes racing, but the drama peaked on the penultimate lap when Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez collided while battling for the lead, ending both their races in a shocking twist.
Throughout the race, fans were treated to intense, clean fighting among drivers, but that all changed as Sainz and Perez, locked in a fierce duel, crashed in the closing moments. The incident left Perez fuming, labeling Sainz’s actions as “crazy” in the heat of the moment.
Sainz, who had lost his third-place starting position to Perez at the start, found himself struggling to keep up with the frontrunners. However, as the race progressed, the Ferrari driver began making serious progress. By the final laps, Sainz was closing in on Perez, who held the final podium position.
With Leclerc slowing down, Sainz seized the opportunity to overtake Perez, putting the two drivers in a tight, high-speed battle. But as they jockeyed for position, the narrow confines of the Baku City Circuit caught up with them, and both drivers collided, sending them into the barriers and prematurely ending their races.
EMOTIONS RUN HIGH: Perez Calls Sainz “Crazy” After Penultimate Lap Crash
Perez, visibly frustrated, communicated his anger over the radio after the crash, calling out Sainz’s aggressive move. The Red Bull driver was eager to prove his worth after facing mid-season criticism, and the crash only intensified his disappointment.
While Sainz had driven a largely uneventful race up to that point, his final stint had seen him claw back into contention. Perez, meanwhile, had been determined to hold onto his podium spot and gain valuable points. But as both drivers fought hard to capitalize on Leclerc’s fading pace, their ambition resulted in the costly collision.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur later explained that both Sainz and Perez were chasing Leclerc’s slipstream, trying to maximize their straight-line speed. This move brought them into dangerously close quarters, leading to the crash.
Vasseur: “Both Drivers Were Caught in the Slipstream”
Vasseur acknowledged the risky nature of the battle but emphasized that the primary concern was Sainz’s safety following the collision. “First of all, he [Carlos] is okay, which is the most important,” said Vasseur. “They were very, very close together, chasing Leclerc’s slipstream, and it caused them to fight for the same piece of tarmac.”
Despite the crash, Ferrari still managed to gain ground on Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, gaining eight points. With Red Bull’s continued struggles, the team now risks losing its grip on the runner-up spot to Ferrari as the season progresses.
As the dust settles, the fallout from the incident will continue to be analyzed, but one thing is clear—both Sainz and Perez were willing to risk everything for victory, and it cost them both dearly.
