Red Bull star receives FIA punishment verdict after Azerbaijan GP crash

The FIA has announced their verdict on a penultimate lap incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.

The 17th grand prix of the 2024 season proved to be a thriller, with McLaren star Oscar Piastri holding off Charles Leclerc to take his second career victory.

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Championship protagonists Lando Norris and Max Verstappen could only finish down in fourth and fifth, with a number of other drivers impressing in their performances away from the championship battle.

Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez did exactly that, presenting a real challenge for the race victory, before crashing out following his incident with Sainz.

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FIA announce Sergio Perez penalty verdict

The pair came together on the exit of Turn 2, after it looked like Perez had lost a podium place on the penultimate lap.

In their post-race press conferences, both drivers blamed each other for the huge crash, with the stewards announcing that they would both be called to the stewards' room under investigation.

Now, the FIA have announced their official verdict, with neither driver being penalized for their roles in the crash.

"The Stewards checked the driving line of the drivers on previous laps," a statement from the FIA read.

"Sainz was on or close to his normal racing line, which forms a slight angle away from the right-hand wall. From the exit to the point of contact, he moves approximately one car width further away from the wall.

"Perez moved approximately half a car width further away from the same wall, being more parallel to the right-hand wall. It was thus apparent that while ahead, and having the right to drive his line, Sainz did move slightly towards a car that he had limited vision of.

"At the same time, there was nothing unusual about Perez’s line, but he could have done more to avoid the car that he had better view of. In conclusion, the Stewards deem this to be a racing incident with neither driver being predominantly at fault, and take no further action."

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