Hamilton attempted to overtake the Mexican driver as they approached Stavelot, resulting in their vehicles making contact. Specifically, the left front wheel of Hamilton’s Mercedes collided with the sidepod of the Red Bull car.
The Mexican driver was later compelled to withdraw from the race because of damage to the bodywork and floor. Meanwhile, Hamilton incurred a 5-second penalty, causing him to fall from fourth to seventh place in the final standings.
When asked about his retirement, Perez stated that the contact from Lewis caused significant damage.
“He completely removed the entire right side of the car, resulting in damage to both the floor and sidepod. This ultimately ended our chances of success as it significantly affected our grip.”
“I believe he was in a rush. Everyone was eager to bounce back today. It’s a race of limited distance. Therefore, one must embrace a certain amount of risk, although it’s unfortunate that my race was spoiled by his actions.”
“Essentially, he lost traction and was unable to halt his vehicle, resulting in a collision with the side of my car and causing damage to the floor. It was an unfortunate incident.”
Sergio Perez, driving for Red Bull Racing RB19, is currently ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes F1 W14.
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Perez was determined that he would achieve a favorable outcome after beginning the sprint in eighth place. He was ready to overtake Pierre Gasly and secure third position.
“It appeared promising,” he remarked. “The team executed an excellent plan to make a comeback. We were on the verge of overtaking Gasly right before the deployment of the safety car. So yes, things were looking very positive. However, regrettably, it was simply too late.”
Perez admitted that the circumstances were challenging when the sprint race eventually commenced following multiple laps trailing the safety car.
“I occupied the eighth position and my visibility was severely limited. It was impossible for me to envision the individuals positioned behind me. Consequently, I believe the initial laps were quite challenging due to the lack of visibility. However, apart from that, everything else proceeded smoothly,” he expressed.
Perez aims for a favorable outcome in the main event on Sunday, starting from his third position, as he approaches the summer break.
“Yes, absolutely,” he stated. “My primary goal is to achieve a favorable outcome tomorrow.”
“I am eagerly anticipating tomorrow when we will gain clarity on the car’s situation and our current position. I hope that we can make up for the points we lost today.”
Leave a Reply