Sergio Perez in COSTLY crash during rain-hit FP1 in Hungary with George Russell fastest

Sergio Perez suffered a crash in Hungary straight away in FP1 — Photo: © LAT Images

Hungarian Grand Prix

Perez in COSTLY crash during rain-hit FP1 in Hungary with Mercedes fastest

The red flags were waved on two separate occasions during a stop-start session

Dan Davis

Friday 21 July 2023 14:40 Updated: 20:26

Pressure mounted further on Sergio Perez after the under-fire Red Bull driver crashed during the early stages of FP1 in Hungary.

On his first flying lap around the Hungaroring, Perez was guilty of touching a wheel onto the grass at turn five, sending him into a spin.

And in a heavy shunt that encapsulated his unfolding nightmare with the world champion team in recent weeks, Perez's car then careered into the barrier.

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The red flags were promptly waved, bringing an early halt to a session rendered a stop-start affair due to rain and several incidents.

However, after the drizzle had faded and conditions became conducive for more speed, Mercedes' George Russell set the fastest time with a 1:38.795.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, continuing his impressive purple patch, shook off the disruptions around him to finish second on the board.

Lance Stroll rounded off the top three, meanwhile, with Lando Norris fourth and Fernando Alonso fifth.

Prior to the chequered flag, Carlos Sainz fell victim to the slick surface, having spun at turn three and beached himself. But with the aid of the marshals, his Ferrari was given a push and nursed back to the pits with minor damage.

Several drivers, though, were unable to, or chose not to, record a time. Both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ultimately opted to remain in the pits.

Perez in a spin again

Just a matter of minutes into the session, Perez sustained a hefty collision with the barrier. Replays soon showed the mistake was painfully elementary, too.

Heading into the corner, Perez's wheel dipped onto the grass, causing him to spin and career toward the tyre wall. With marshals deployed to bail him out, the red flags were waved, ensuring an early interruption to the action.

"I clipped the grass I think, on braking," Perez said after skidding across the gravel. "I just lost it."

With Daniel Ricciardo seemingly waiting in the wings, the pressure continues to build further on the under-fire Mexican. A penny for Helmut Marko's thoughts.

Christian Horner admitted Perez made a mistake before his shunt

Drizzle causes drama

Adding to the early drama, light rain began to coat the surface of the Hungaroring.

Valtteri Bottas slipped and slid in his Alfa Romeo before coasting onto the gravel, signalling the need for drivers to return to the pits and switch out their tyres.

Making his feelings clear over team radio, he declared the conditions had become "undrivable" before limping back to the garage.

Several other drivers endured heart-stopping moments and to make matters worse, the rain began to pound down. McLaren duo Norris and Piastri were caught out on slicks but successfully coasted back to safety.

Sainz skids in the slick

Seemingly caught out a little at turn three, Sainz's Ferrari lost all grip and span off the track before brushing the wall.

Luckily, despite briefly being beached, the car was able to get moving again and retreated back to the pits, albeit at the expense of another red flag.

Several stewards had been quick to race to the scene and push the Ferrari back onto the circuit, meaning the session was only briefly paused.