Perez crash halts qualifying in Monaco

2011 Monaco Grand Prix

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Sergio Perez, Sauber, Monaco, 2011

Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix was stopped following a crash involving Sergio Perez.

Perez lost control of his car on the approach to the chicane. He glanced the barrier on the right, then skidded into the TecPro barrier beyond the run-off area.

The recovery crews spent around 20 minutes recovering Perez from the car.

The 21-year-old Mexican driver was reported to be “conscious and talking” following the crash which took place with two minutes to go in Q3.

Nico Rosberg had a similar accident in qualifying but missed the barrier Perez hit.

Update: The FIA has confirmed Perez has no broken bones. He will remain in hospital overnight with suspected concussion.

Update: Sauber confirm Perez has "no serious injuries"

Please exercise caution when sharing information about Perez’s condition in the comments. Please do not speculate unduly and ensure you cite a source for any new information.

2011 Monaco Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    57 comments on “Perez crash halts qualifying in Monaco”

    1. I feel quite sick. Still can’t believe he’s OK. That was a horrible few minutes. Possibly my worst F1 experience. :(

      1. This was in my eyes worse than Massa in Hungary ’09, because I know Wendlinger crashed identically in ’94 and went in coma, whilst Massa’s crash was nothing apart from the spring, that was noticed much after the crash.

        1. i think massa crash much more worse because inn an open wheeler the head is the least protected part

          1. Sure it was but the impact on the barriers didn’t scare me, the injuries were done by the spring that was revealed later after the crash.

        2. Safety standards are in a completely different league to 1994. The monocoque looked to hold up very well from the TV pictures when the car was winched away.

      2. Same thing here, I was sitting shocked hoping for some news he’s ok, but expecting the worse…

      3. Agreed. That’s up there with Massa in Hungary ’09. Unpleasant.

        However, like I said on Twitter, i’m very proud to be a Formula 1 fan today. Safety is pinnacle and did not disappoint.

      4. Indeed, it actually took me back to Imola 94. I’m glad things appear to be okay. Nasty stuff.

        1. Just… scary. Honestly thought there was more chance he wasnt alive after that. When the marshalls held the cloths over him I really begain to fear the worst.

          But its a credit to modern technology & designs that the car took the force for him and he appears ok.

          1. Despite the sides of the cockpit being higher now, the impact was still enough for serious head injuries. Thanks to helmets, barriers and cockpits he is ok.

            1. I was lucky enough to miss the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session, so Perez’s crash is the scariest thing I can remember seeing.

              I sometimes think about Senna’s crash in 1994 (and all of the fatal accidents, for that matter) and I wonder how I’d handle myself in that situation. Today I found out. Whilst I would have liked to believe he was OK, and I was convincing myself he was, there was something in the back of my head telling me to worry – and I genuinely was. It was a peculiar feeling, one that I cannot really describe, but it was sickening and I hope never to experience it again. It took so long for the medical team to get to him and the amount of marshals on the scene reminded me of the videos I’ve seen of Senna’s crash.

              My brother actually decided to watch qualifying with me for a change, and I knew we were seeing something pretty bad when we were both sitting in silence, waiting for some news. Whilst I refused to believe anything horrible had happened, you can never be sure – and that’s what made it so sickening for me.

            2. I not only saw Massa’s accident but also Kovalainen’s in 2008, Kubica’s in 2007, Schumacher’s in 1999, plus others which my sanity has chosen to forget for the time being. There is no avoiding that feeling of dread and it feels like you’re literally living on hope. I was actually getting quite upset as the scene dragged on, all sorts of dark thoughts enter your head, like “It would be a young up-and-comer to die, if it was anyone”.

              It’s a horrible experience but it’s the risk we run as spectators, just as it’s the risk the drivers run as competitors.

            3. I second your feelings Damon, I saw that Hungary Quali session and still remember feeling that same sick feeling I felt today! The replays don’t make it easier either as they make sure they’ve ingrained in our memories.

              Thank God Perez is ok and is doing much better than Massa did after his crash. I remember Kubica was bad too, Kovalainen as well..

              It’s amazing when something like this happens you just immediately let go of whoever your favorite driver is and just hope that the driver injured is OK. It reminds us that the F1 world is more united than we think. It’s also a reminder that all the racing, rivalry, scandals, competitiveness is secondary when it comes to safety.

              Hope we see him back tomorrow, if not in Canada..

            4. @Icthyes – The incredible thing is, I watched all of those races you mentioned on tape-delay, and already knew they were OK before I saw the crashes, so yesterday was my first genuine scare. And of course, I never saw Schumacher’s crash as I only started watching F1 in 2002.

    2. The recovery crews spent around 20 minutes recovering Perez from the car.

      I was so worried for him I did not even notice they took so much time to take him out.

      1. true! i look at the watch and i was like woah! it’s more than 30 mins since it started! a sad qualifying. all crashes look spectacular. this one felt just painful. :(

      2. I presumed the issue was his neck, given how the crash happened.

        1. NO his HANS will have protected him from neck injuries. As mentioned above it is suspected concussion.

    3. That was quite shocking but the marshalls and medics did a fantastic job, and at least the news we have is positive, unlike with Massa in Hungary.

      1. True. The news for Massa were worse than we thought, here it’s the opposite.

        1. However, it could have been ALOT worse, fortunately it wasn’t. I goes to show how safe formula 1 is these days

    4. That was, like others have said, one of the most frightening things I’ve seen in F1 for years. I too was expecting the worst, but thankfully the Sauber looks ok.

      Fingers crossed Sergio hasn’t been injured badly.

      1. Yeah, it’s not something you can sit easily through. My thoughts are with him.

        I think he should be ok, one of the commentators suggested he was complaining of leg injury, which is bad, but most likely not life threatening or even career ending. So he should be ok.

        When they took him out, did they extract him with or without the seat?

        1. I was worried then. I really was.

    5. I hope he’s OK, that was a fair whack.

    6. So glad he’s okay. That was a big shunt so it’s quite a miracle he remained conscious.

      Not to sound harsh but that crash sure messed up the tension of Q3.

      1. He was sad to look at in the replays, when he tried to protect his head with his hands (like Chandhok last year), despite the hands being more fragile than the helmet.

    7. It was a good sign when they loaded him into the ambulance, and the ambulance didn’t immediately speed off.

      Hope that he wasn’t seriousy injured.

      1. When Tomizawa (who died in MotoGP) was on the ambulance, it went away slowly as his situation was so bad the doctors were working during the transport.

    8. I’m glad he’s okay. When his head wasn’t moving in the cockpit during the onboard footage after the crash, I started to worry, but now I feel relieved for him. I really hope he can race tomorrow.

    9. That was a hard few minutes.. Always hard to tell in a crash like that.. Some crashes look worse but they walk away, some looks easy and they are hurt.. You can never know all the factors.. Really hope he is well and can be back racing soon!

    10. I’m sure Perez will be up and about in no time. Brilliant job getting into Q3 today even if he doesn’t take part tomorrow. He has that to be proud of.

      Also a great moment when he drove right round the apex through the chicane. Awesome.

      1. The control of that snap of oversteer at 140mph was superb to watch. It’s What makes this sport so eye-opening, can really see the performance through that chicane, and see driver’s skill handling cars that close to the limit. Hope he’s OK!

      2. It’s true, he drove brilliantly in Q1 and Q2. It did pass through my mind, though, that he was driving really on the edge. Enormous courage.

    11. Bigbadderboom
      28th May 2011, 14:55

      Horrible incident, it’s such a blackspot coming out of the tunnel. Pleased to hear that he was conscious and talking to the Dr.
      I think for once EJ may have a point in that the Monaco authorities should look at that part of track. It’s obvious that the current batch of F1 designs are more sensitive to these bumps and undulations in the surface.

    12. I think the main trouble is the bump coming over the crest of the hill that causes cars to swerve left into the wall. If that were smoothed out, then there’d be no problem.

    13. Fortunately my stream stopped working shortly after the crash. I just saw on youtube the blankets they were holding to hide what was happening. Luckily I saw that after I heard the news he was consious. I would have been really scared, I would have feared he was dead. Sickening crash. I hope Perez is back soon. Hopefully the hospital is showing the Champions League final.

    14. What happened to the black and yellow speed bumps at the chicane?

      1. Removed after FP3. Think they realised that cars will be launched into the air after Rosberg’s crash.

        1. and its a good thing to. I dont even want to think what might have happened to Perez if he went over them.

        2. Excellent slo-mo of Rosberg’s accident here. Note how the first yellow speed bumps launch his car well into the air, causing it to almost clear the second strip of bumps.

          Very please to hear Perez is okay, but don’t expect him to be back racing for three weeks if he has concussion. It’ll take that long for the bruising to the brain to go down and for the FIA to be happy he’s fit to race again. I expect Sauber’s reserve driver Esteban Gutiérrez will be driving for the next couple of races.

      2. They have been removed after the Rosberg crash this morning. And I think that was a good decision – could have been a lot worse for Perez if his car had been jumping over the bumps like Rosberg did.

        Overall I found the Perez crash not as scary to watch as Massa oder Kubica, but still it was a huge impact and some worring minutes. Just so glad he seems to be okay!

    15. Thoughts are with Perez, his family & the Sauber team at this time. We hope for a speedy recovery and to see him back on the track soon… Thankfully this one was not serious, despite the destroyed car and the huge impact…

    16. Kubica’s crash at Montreal was scary.. this and Massa’s crash looked like a walk in the park.

      1. Thank you. Im not going to have a rant about “the good old days” but such the cotton wool society of these days that it just takes a tocuh of the barriers for one to have their thoughts with the family of the driver.

        Bad shunt yes, but there was never any doubt that he would live to fight another day.

      2. I don’t think that is appropriate.

        1. I agree with Mike. I’d rather have a ‘cotton wool society’, than another F1 funeral…

      3. Stupid comment. You call getting your head nearly taken off by a bit of flying debris a walk in the park?

        Anybody else think that Rosberg was EXCEPTIONALLY lucky this morning? He looked as if he was carrying more speed than Perez and would of been head on with the wall if he was one more metre to the right.

        1. yes Torg.. I tend to say stupid comments all day long here.. keeps guys like you on your toes.

    17. Just hope he is unhurt and is hopefully back to racing still with the same level of physical and mental fitness.

      And hope they do something to that bump since the track is going to be used by many drivers if they try a move around the inside after the tunnel.

      Get well soon Perez!

    18. Seeing that accident reminded Me of the old days initially. Then, I thought of the modern safety standards now employed and felt very hopeful while awaiting word. That incredibly horrifying feeling that Im glad to say I’ve become somewhat unfamiliar with, was fleeting today. I must say though, once I knew He was basically fine I felt horror of a different sort…

    19. The Last Pope
      28th May 2011, 15:48

      Does anyone feel that these sheets that get held up do a little too much grief to people watching by making them think the situation is far worse than it actually is? Perez’ father must have been having that nightmare feeling watching that.

      Obviously if the situation is bad, sheets should be used, but for what might only be buised knees?

      1. I think it’s a standard procedure type of thing.

        I think it’s for the best, It’s not good to have the media making things harder.

    20. i highly doubt he will race tomorrow but i hope he isn’t seriously injured

    21. For the sort of comments I’ve been reading here, I would have thought the car had split in two revealing much of his legs and burst into flames among straw bales with marshals trying to preserve what was left of the car not assist with the timely evacuation of the driver.

      ‘Motor racing is dangerous!’ used to be the commonly recognised slogan. For F1 it should be; ‘F1 is for pansies!’

      30 years ago, F1 drivers and alike were paid good money ‘danger money’ for a valid reason. Today they are over pampered and over paid.

      These days I find down hill skiing much more dangerous, skilful and entertaining.

      1. Troll.

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