Lando Norris had a collision with Sergio Perez during the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Following the conclusion of the race, Norris sarcastically claimed that he was impressed with Perez for colliding with him even though he “literally tried to let him past“.
Speaking about this, Norris said as per Autosport, “He was ahead [at the apex]. I tried to let him past! I was four car lengths away from the apex. Somehow, he still crashed into me… impressive. I literally tried to let him past and somehow he crashed into me.”
The collision with Norris at turn 6-7 chicane of Lap 47 handed Perez a five-second time penalty. This did not sit right with the Mexican driver who went on to term it as a joke and was supported by his Red Bull team.
However, Perez’s language got him in trouble after the International Sporting Code intervened. In the end, the Red Bull driver got away after making a genuine apology. Interestingly, it was a penalty that sealed the fate of multiple parties.
Lando Norris failed to achieve important milestone due to Sergio Perez’s penalty
Sergio Perez’s penalty directly affected several drivers and teams in Abu Dhabi. Leaving aside Red Bull, who are obviously affected directly, it also became a cause of concern for Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.
The penalty brought down Perez to P4 even though he crossed the line in P2. This put George Russell above in the order and handed Mercedes P2 in the Constructors’ Championship against Ferrari. Admittedly, this move also hampered Lando Norris.
Norris hoped to finish in P4 in the Drivers’ Championship, something McLaren hadn’t done for a decade after Lewis Hamilton’s departure. However, his wish remained unfulfilled as Leclerc also benefited from Perez’s penalty.
Leclerc crossed the race in P3 but moved up to P2 and gained three more points. In the end, Norris finished the season with 205 points in P6, compared to Leclerc’s 206. [ Fernando Alonso finished in P4 with 206 points.]
“Is it in the back of your head? Yes. Would I have loved to be fourth? Yes. But [second-starting] Charles jumped me, so nothing I could do about that. He had a very good weekend,” said the British driver after losing out.
