WATCH: Sergio Perez’s near-miss collision in Baku triggers massive warning to Carlos Sainz

In a dramatic incident during the second practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez narrowly avoided a high-speed collision with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at the treacherous Turn 14. As Perez was on a flying lap, Sainz unexpectedly slowed through the flat-out section, forcing the Mexican driver to take evasive action.

Perez immediately expressed his frustration over the team radio, exclaiming, “What is he doing?! That was very close!” The incident caught the attention of the FIA stewards, who summoned both drivers for an investigation. After reviewing the telemetry data, video footage, and information from the marshalling system, the stewards met with the drivers and team representatives to understand the situation.

Here is the video:

A big near miss for Checo 👀#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/dshr9BGaLh

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2024

According to the stewards, impeding during free practice is not usually investigated unless it poses a significant danger. In this case, however, they deemed the situation potentially hazardous due to the high speed at which Perez had to react to avoid Sainz’s slowing car.

Carlos Sainz admits his mistake!

During the hearing Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz admitted that he had seen Perez approaching from behind and acknowledged that his team had warned him. However, the Spaniard explained that he had been distracted by multiple alarms going off in his car at the time, which caused him to misjudge the speed difference between the two cars. While Sainz did begin to take evasive action, the stewards noted that it was a fraction too late.

Fortunately, Perez had clear visibility of the situation and was able to manoeuvre safely without the incident escalating. He confirmed during the hearing that, although he had to lift off the throttle, the situation did not become as dangerous as it initially appeared.

As a result of the hearing, the FIA stewards decided to issue a formal warning to Sainz, by the agreed guidelines. The warning had no further impact on the rest of the Grand Prix weekend, but it served as a reminder of the high stakes and split-second decisions drivers face on the circuit.