In the closing stages of the 2024 Azerbaijan GP, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc were locked in a thrilling battle for P2. However, on the penultimate lap, as they exited the turn three left-hander, Sainz and Perez made contact, sending them both out of the race.
Initial reactions from paddock experts suggested it was a pure racing incident. However, former F1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok believed Sainz should take full responsibility.
Perez was on the outside of Sainz as they accelerated into the DRS zone. However, the Red Bull driver’s right front tire made contact with the left rear of Sainz’s SF-24, tangling them both. They both hit the barriers and sustained heavy damage to their respective cars.
Chandhok explained that Sainz moved unnecessarily towards the RB20 of Perez which caused the collision. “I think unfortunately for Carlos he’s got to take the blame for that,” Chandhok stated.
“I think unfortunately for Carlos, he’s got to take the blame for that”
Karun Chandhok takes a closer look at the crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez pic.twitter.com/ws9zSYrZnH
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 15, 2024
On the other hand, F1TV analyst Jolyon Palmer had the opposite verdict. The former Renault driver thought that the accident was caused due to both drivers looking to get into Leclerc’s slipstream.
He even went on to shift the blame to Perez. From Palmer’s perspective, the Mexican driver had more space on the left-hand side than Sainz had on his right. Thus, Perez should have given the Spaniard more space rather than boxing him into the right-hand side barriers.
Despite their struggles in Baku, Red Bull was set for a strong points finish with Perez in the podium position. However, the crash cost them the Constructors’ lead, which now belongs to McLaren. The Woking-based team sits 20 points ahead of Red Bull, leading the Constructors’ championship for the first time since the 2014 Australian GP.
The FIA Stewards went with a neutral view of the incident. According to F1 journalist, Chris Medland, “No further action on Sainz and Perez – stewards deem that neither was predominantly to blame and both could have done things slightly differently. Neither was erratic in their movements either.”
