The destructors’ championship has become a fun way of keeping track of the crash damages sustained by teams and drivers throughout an F1 season. Users on F1’s official subreddit update this unofficial list after every incident, and following the Sao Paulo GP last weekend, there were some major changes.
Williams suffered a flurry of crashes at Interlagos, which could end up costing them around $2.4 million. The destructors’ championship got updated as a result, and Williams’ total bill for the season went up to $4.66 million. It was a huge blow, but still not enough to overshadow what Sergio Perez has accumulated in 2024 (so far) — $4.86 million.
Both of Williams’ drivers suffered massive shunts in Brazil. Alex Albon damaged his FW46 beyond repair in qualifying itself, whereas Franco Colapinto crashed twice — in qualifying and the race. Colapinto’s crashes on its own put up a reported $1.6 million bill.
The Grove-based team also crashed several times this season before Sao Paulo with both Albon and Logan Sargeant (who got sacked and replaced by Colapinto) adding to the numbers. Even in Mexico, the week before Brazil, Albon crashed twice.
Nonetheless, Perez’s crashes have been more severe, with the damages alone costing more than the combined total for three of Williams’ drivers.
Perez’s crashes in 2024
Just like he did in 2023, Perez had another massive crash in Monaco in 2024. During the Grand Prix, while in a battle with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, the two got too close for comfort and came together on the narrow track in the Principality.
Perez’s RB20 looked like a crushed Red Bull can in the aftermath, and it reportedly cost the Austrian team over $2 million. Similarly, the Guadalajara-born driver crashed out at the Hungarian GP qualifying, which compromised his weekend and put more pressure on Red Bull.
RED FLAG
HUGE CRASH FOR PEREZ!
Driver ok #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/mB4aNZqbXp
— Autosport (@autosport) May 26, 2024
In Azerbaijan, Perez was having an excellent weekend and was in contention for a podium finish. However, he collided with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap. Although it was deemed a racing incident with both drivers sharing some responsibility, it was a significant setback for Red Bull, costing them the constructors’ championship lead.
