Sergio Perez crashed out of the Monaco Grand Prix within a few corners on Sunday after making contact with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. The incident led to a lengthy red-flag period, with debris scattered all over the track.
Perez was looking to gain some ground at the start – one of the few opportunities to overtake at Monaco – after a miserable qualifying session. He was due to start 18th after a major upset.
He received some good news before the race as the two Haas cars were disqualified for a technical infringement. That bumped him a couple of places to 16th.
But on the run from Beau Rivage up towards Massenet, Magnussen ambitiously tried to race Perez around the outside. The Mexican came across to take the racing line and ended up in a spin.
Nico Hulkenberg was the unfortunate bystander as Perez speared across the track and into his path, with all three cars forced to retire. The damage to the Red Bull was most severe, with three of the four tyres missing.
The team have begun their inspections to see what they can salvage from the shunt, and what will need to be replaced. They do at least have some breathing space in the form of a weekend off before the next race in Canada.
Helmut Marko says Red Bull may spend £2.6m on Sergio Perez rebuild
In comments relayed by F1 Insider, Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko has estimated how much the damage will cost. Teams are operating under a cost cap, which means any repairs can restrict their freedom to spend in other areas.
Marko reckons that the world champions may have to shell out an extra £2.6m to get Perez’s car ready for Montreal. He says this could be a significant issue for the team going forward.
The Austrian was also critical of what he felt was ‘dangerous’ driving from Magnussen. The stewards ultimately decided not to hand out any penalties.
“I was surprised how quickly the incident was put to rest,” Marko said. “Firstly, it was dangerous, and secondly, the damage to us amounts to two or three million euros. Given the budget limit, this is a real handicap.”
Should Kevin Magnussen have received a one-race ban after Sergio Perez crash at Monaco?
Even if he didn’t believe he was at fault, Magnussen would have been a relieved man when the stewards’ verdict arrived. As you can see in the table below, he’s currently hovering on 10 penalty points.
If he receives just two more, then he’ll receive a race ban as per the rules. And given that it takes a year for the points to expire, he’s walking this tightrope until early March 2025.
Magnussen knows a suspension could be particularly costly. Yes, it would deny him a chance to score points, but it would also likely hurt his chances of retaining his Haas drive.
The American team are already looking into alternative options for next year. Valtteri Bottas is among those to have been linked.
Reviewing the footage, Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle said Magnussen should have backed out. In his eyes it simply wasn’t worth the ‘risk’ on the first lap of the race.
Marko may be inherently biased, but if a neutral like Brundle is laying the blame at his feet, then perhaps he should count himself lucky. It certainly doesn’t seem like he’s reining in his aggression despite the threat of a ban.
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