Sergio Perez and Alex Albon were cleared of wrongdoing by the FIA stewards after clashing during FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Perez and Albon collided late in Friday’s first practice, with the crash scattering debris from Albon’s FW48 on the track.
Sergio Perez and Alex Albon Suzuka FP1 incident investigated
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Both drivers were on flying laps with the Williams showing better pace than the Cadillac, as Albon made a move to pass Perez at Turn 16.
The Cadillac driver, though, didn’t see him and turned in on Albon.
The two collided, leaving Albon’s FW48 with front-left damage and debris scattered across the track.
Albon: “I don’t know if he even saw me.”
Perez: “Oh my god, I had no idea the Williams was right next to us, it crashed into me.”
Both drivers have been noted for ‘alleged breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the International Sporting Code – Turn 16 incident between Cars 23 and 11 at 12:22.’
The stewards, having heard from both drivers, ruled “no further action”.
The report read: “The Driver of Car 11 explained that he was on a race-run lap and was about to commence another. He had seen Car 23 some distance behind when he had exited turn 14. Car 23 was on an out lap and gained significanlly on Car 11 through turn 15 and on the approach to turn 16. Car 23 moved to overtake Car 11 on the inside at turn 16 and a collision occurred.
“The Driver of Car 11 said that he did not see Car 23, his virtual mirror was not working and he had not received any warning from his team of Car 23’s approach. This was confirmed by his team radio. The team explained that they had assumed that Car 23 would hold position behind Car 11 and had not noticed the extent to which Car 23 had gained on Car 11 and for that reason did not warn the Driver of Car 11.
“The Driver of Car 23 said that he believed from the wide line taken by Car 11 at the entry to turn 16 that Car 11 was letting him through Both Drivers were surprised by the closing speeds.
“The collision was therefore the result of a misunderstanding contributed to by a lack of communication by the team to
the Driver of Car 11. Both Drivers accepted that neither of them was wholly or predominatly to blame for it. The Stewards therefore determined to take no further action.”
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