Despite the extraordinary victory of Oscar Piastri, the attention of the Baku GP was partly overshadowed by the sensational accident involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz in the closing stages of the race. The two drivers, fighting for the podium, collided, ending their respective races and sparking a debate about who was truly responsible. After analyzing the incident, the FIA has released its verdict on the episode, providing clarity on one of the most controversial stories of the weekend.
The dynamics of the accident
The contact occurred when Carlos Sainz, after brilliantly overtaking Perez for third place, set off in pursuit of his teammate Charles Leclerc to try to take second. In the meantime, Perez tried to recover the lost position, taking advantage of the speed coming out of Turn 2 to come alongside Sainz between Turn 2 and Turn 3. However, the maneuver ended in tragedy: the two touched and both ended up against the barriers, compromising a race that promised important results for both Red Bull and Ferrari.
Carlos Sainz he immediately pointed the finger at Perez, accusing him of having exaggerated in his aggression, compromising a battle that could have ended differently. According to Sainz, the Mexican could have been more cautious, especially considering the delicate phase of the race. Sergio Perez, on the other hand, defended his action, explaining that the overtaking was legitimate and that Sainz's maneuver did not leave him enough space to avoid contact. Both drivers then gave conflicting versions of what happened, making the FIA's in-depth investigation necessary.
FIA decision, racing incident
The FIA explained that the stewards were looking at the manner of the accident, not the consequences, and that: “Sainz overtook Perez after Turn 1 and was fully in the lead at the apex of Turn 2. With Sainz’s exit compromised, Perez pulled up the inside of Sainz. Sainz reported that he had noticed Perez on the inside. Perez, being slightly behind, was in a better position to see the relative position of the cars. However, as the two cars approached the wall on the right at the exit of Turn 2, they found themselves approximately 1 metre apart.. From this point on and throughout the accident, neither driver steered erratically, and both maintained very neutral steering."
“The stewards checked the drivers’ line in the previous laps. Sainz was on his normal racing line, which is at a slight angle to the right-hand wall, or almost so. From the exit to the contact point he was about a car width away from the wall. Perez was about half a car width away from the same wall, being more parallel to the right-hand wall. It was therefore clear that, despite being in the lead and having the right to drive his line, Sainz moved slightly towards a car of which he had a limited view. At the same time, there was nothing unusual about Perez's trajectory, but he could have done more to avoid the car he could see better. In conclusion, the Stewards of the Race believe that this was a racing incident.. "
