Red Bull F1 Car Obliterated Perez walks away during a crash at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez, the other RB driver, survives a devastating crash, while local lad Charles Leclerc sweeps the podium.
Beverly Braga.
The Monaco Grand Prix is historically significant, renowned, revered, and a favourite among drivers. However, it is acknowledged to be somewhat boring. It’s not you, Monaco, it’s me. Or rather, they. *points to the race teams* Because the road course has not changed. However, the automobiles detected the creatine drip and became swole. This means minimal to no passing on a narrow circuit with only one pit stop. (I am sleepy as I write this.) Fortunately for us, there was considerable activity this year!
Unfortunately fyor Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, his Sunday drive ended before reaching turn two. But he was lucky again, because he escaped a crash that completely destroyed his car.
We can’t embed F1 films, but here’s the wipeout from the Monaco highlights reel on their YouTube channel:
Race beginnings are exciting because anything can happen, and often does. At Monaco, Perez and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen were battling for position as they exited Turn 1. However, considering the already limited quarters of the course, this is a millimetre race for today’s broad-shouldered F1 cars. Something needed to give.
However, neither Perez nor Magnussen let go of the throttle, so the weasel went pop.
Hulkenberg hit Perez’s right rear, sending the two cars into the barriers at a recorded 160 mph. Behind them was Magnussen’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg. With nowhere to go, Hulkenberg reluctantly joined the celebration.
Charles Leclerc, a hometown hero, won today’s race. Despite having won many pole positions, he had never finished on the podium at Monaco.
According to Formula One, Leclerc became the first Monégasque to win at home since 1931. But we must also consider the race a victory for safety. Because we saw Hulkenberg, Magnussen, and Perez walk away from a horrific-looking crash. Sure, they continued to fight each other off-course with finger-pointing and microphones, but at least it wasn’t from their hospital beds.
Racing at these speeds is undeniably risky, a risk that drivers recognise every time they get behind the wheel. However, the risks are life-threatening for both track workers and spectators. In today’s Formula One incident, Perez’s car sustained the most of the damage. Three of its wheels were pulled from the frame, causing the monocoque to drift to a standstill. With so much debris on the course, red flags were flown to signal a complete race stoppage.
Although none of the drivers finished the race, all three walked away from their wrecked vehicles. The most spectacular example of the racing series’ safety procedures is Perez exiting his vehicle as if he were waking up from a power nap. The majority of the automobile was strewn across the racecourse, but Perez was unharmed.
The single-piece survival cell has been around since 1981, and it clearly served its purpose in the case of Perez. The carbon fibre structure has grown over time and appears practically unbreakable. And that is the point. However, safety elements, while vital, are occasionally overlooked in favour of cost savings. It sounds ridiculous, but F1 didn’t even require the Halo feature, which protects the driver’s head in the event of a rollover, until 2018.
Teams actually objected about the titanium-blend cockpit strengthening, claiming it would be too expensive, could impair sight lines, and was unnecessary. Everyone’s opinion changed after viewing examples of the Halo averting fatalities and reducing the number of receivers of actual halos. Like, hello? What aspect of rollover protection seems like a bad idea?
