F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Red Bull star faces DISQUALIFICATION after incident

Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Belgium, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Red Bull star faces DISQUALIFICATION after Azerbaijan Grand Prix incident

Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz collided on the penultimate lap

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 15 September 2024 15:27 Updated: 18:01

A Red Bull star has been called to the stewards' room following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he may face disqualification from the race.

The race around the Baku City Circuit was a thriller, with Oscar Piastri coming home to take the victory from Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

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Max Verstappen could only finish fifth, with Red Bull once again struggling to keep up with the faster cars ahead of them. His team-mate Sergio Perez, however, was in a battle for the win for the majority of the race.

The Mexican outclassed his three-time world champion colleague and found himself right on the tail of Leclerc on the penultimate lap of the race.

However, Perez collided with a resurgent Carlos Sainz heading into Turn 4, ending both drivers' participation in the race and ensuring the afternoon finished under virtual safety car conditions.

Sergio Perez had a point-less weekend in Baku

Max Verstappen also struggled at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Perez under investigation

Now, Perez could be in trouble for his part in the race-ending collision, which also ended Red Bull's chances of maintaining their slim lead in the constructors' championship standings.

The FIA have confirmed in an official document that Perez has been summoned by the stewards for an "alleged breach of appendix L, chapter IV, article 2 d) of the International Sporting Code."

Whether or not Perez will be found guilty of any wrongdoing remains to be seen, but that particular section of the sporting code states that the maximum penalty for such offences would be disqualification from the race.

"Causing a collision, repetition of serious mistakes or the appearance of a lack of control over the car (such as leaving the track) will be reported to the stewards and may entail the imposition of penalties up to and including the disqualification of any driver concerned," the International Sporting Code reads.

Sainz has also been called to see the stewards, where the Ferrari driver may also face punishment.

UPDATE: The FIA have determined that neither driver will be punished for the crash, calling it a 'racing incident'.

Red Bull Max Verstappen FIA Oscar Piastri Charles Leclerc George Russell