JUST IN: FIA issue verdict following Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and… Baku incident…read more
FIA issue verdict following Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and… Baku incident…read more
The FIA stewards in Azerbaijan have issued a verdict following their investigation into an incident involving Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez during a practice session at the Baku Grand Prix. Both drivers were called to meet with the stewards after a close encounter during the second practice session, where Perez claimed Sainz had blocked him during a fast lap.
The incident took place at the high-speed Turn 14 on the Baku City Circuit. Perez, driving for Red Bull, was on a flying lap when he suddenly encountered Sainz, who was slowing down through the corner in his Ferrari. This forced Perez to take evasive action by moving to the right to avoid a collision. Over the team radio, Perez voiced his frustration, saying, “What is he doing?! That was very close!”
Given the potential danger of the situation, the FIA stewards decided to investigate the incident, which they generally do not do for impeding during free practice unless the circumstances are deemed dangerous. After reviewing the evidence, including video footage, telemetry data, and input from both drivers and their teams, the stewards decided to issue a warning to Sainz for his role in the near-miss. This warning will not have any further consequences for the rest of the Grand Prix weekend.
In their official statement, the FIA stewards explained the decision in more detail. They noted that Perez had been forced to lift off the throttle and swerve to the right to avoid Sainz at a high-speed section of the track. This kind of maneuver, while not causing an immediate danger, could have escalated into a more hazardous situation, which is why they chose to investigate.
The stewards’ hearing revealed that Sainz had seen Perez approaching from behind and that his team had warned him about Perez’s presence. However, Sainz explained that he had been distracted by various alarms going off in his car, which led him to misjudge how quickly Perez was closing in. While Sainz did attempt to move out of the way, his reaction came slightly too late. Perez, on the other hand, reported that while he did have to lift off and avoid Sainz, he had clear visibility of the Ferrari and did not believe the situation was extremely dangerous. Nevertheless, the stewards felt that Sainz’s misjudgment warranted a warning, but not a harsher penalty, in line with their guidelines for such incidents.
Sainz ended the second practice session with the fourth-fastest time, trailing his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who set the quickest lap of the day. Perez, despite the incident, posted the second-fastest time, just 0.006 seconds slower than Leclerc. Red Bull, who had faced a challenging start to the weekend, showed signs of improvement with Perez leading the way for the team.
Following the practice sessions, Sainz acknowledged the difficulties he had faced during the day, citing the lack of grip and significant track evolution as key factors. He noted that the circuit felt slower compared to the previous year, which made it harder to get a clear read on the car’s balance. Despite the struggles, Sainz remained optimistic about Ferrari’s chances for the rest of the weekend, expressing confidence that the team could make further improvements ahead of qualifying and the race.
“Challenging Friday with very little grip and lots of track evolution,” Sainz commented after the session. “The circuit was slower than last year, and it was tricky to read the car balance, but we made progress and I’m confident we can improve even further for tomorrow.”
Perez, who finished as the lead Red Bull driver in second place, also saw positives in his performance, despite the close call with Sainz. Red Bull will be looking to capitalize on this momentum going into the rest of the weekend, as they aim to challenge Ferrari for top honors in Baku.
With the stewards’ decision now final, both drivers can focus on the upcoming sessions, with no further penalties looming over Sainz as a result of the warning issued for his actions in practice.
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