Lewis Hamilton crash compared to ‘circus’ as Red Bull chief slams ‘stupid’ Perez

05/28/2023

F1 preview: A lap of the Monaco Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton took the blame for his crash on Saturday after colliding with the barrier in free practice before Mercedes managed to fix his car in time for qualifying. The seven-time world champion struggled to find comfort behind the wheel of his W14 and had a minor incident at Mirabeau before his mechanics fixed the car in time for him to line up fifth on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Max Verstappen will start first on the grid in a dramatic qualifying on Saturday after pipping Fernando Alonso to pole position by less than a tenth of a second. Esteban Ocon nearly produced the shock of the season in his Alpine after putting in the provisional fastest lap time before Alonso and then Verstappen went quicker.,

But it was a nightmare session for Sergio Perez, who collided with the barrier at the tricky Saint Devote and ended his session in Q1. He will start near the back of the grid and could face a frustrating race as it is difficult to overtake around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Charles Leclerc was also hit with a three-place penalty for impeding Lando Norris in qualifying and he starts from sixth as his apparent curse at his home track continues. Scroll down for the latest F1 news and updates from Express Sport….

KEY EVENTS

Hamilton ‘circus’ removal angers Wolff07:57

Red Bull chief slams ‘stupid’ Perez07:56

Hamilton ‘circus’ removal angers Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has likened the removal of Lewis Hamilton’s car to a circus act after his crash on Saturday.

The 38-year-old hit the wall in a minor incident that left his car stranded and in need of removing from the track. But the crane allowed the car to be seen by all the teams in the paddock, leaving Wolff incensed.

“Whoever performed the crane has probably worked for Cirque du Soleil before,” Wolff told reporters. “I mean honestly… [it was] bad.

“I don’t even comprehend – the car was on the road, you could have put it on the truck rather than showcasing a car to everyone in the world. That was sub-optimum for us to say the least.”

Red Bull chief slams ‘stupid’ Perez

Red Bull special advisor Helmut Marko has hit out at Sergio Perez for his “stupid” mistake that ruined his qualifying and race hopes at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Mexican went too fast into Saint Devote and couldn’t slow down his RB19 in time as he slammed into the wall, wrecking his hopes of challenging Max Verstappen for pole.

And Marko, 80, made it clear in no uncertain terms that Perez was at fault for the crash that cost him a chance to fight at the front of the grid.

“If you have a car like that, you shouldn’t be out in Q1,” Marko told Sky Germany. “That was a stupid mistake on his part. Maybe he was thinking too much about the championship.”