Sergio Perez and Lando Norris have lambasted Valtteri Bottas for causing a multi-car collision on a dramatic opening lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
On a wet Hungaroring circuit, second-place starter Bottas had a sluggish getaway and dropped several positions down the order as the field approach Turn 1.
As Bottas approached Turn 1 he lost control of his Mercedes and piled into Lando Norris, sending the McLaren driver into championship leader Max Verstappen.
An out-of-control Bottas then collected Perez and inflicted terminal damage to the Mexican’s Red Bull as well as his own car.
“Bottas lost the car. In the beginning, I thought it was Lando but yeah it’s clear that Bottas just made a big mistake and took everyone out of the race,” Perez told Sky during the resultant red flag period.
“It’s a big shame. It’s a massive blow for us as a team but we also lost the engine very likely, so not ideal really.”
This means Perez will likely join his team-mate Verstappen in facing a grid penalty at a future grand prix – the Dutchman requiring one after his Honda engine was found to be “cracked” following his British GP clash with Lewis Hamilton.
Norris’s retirement ends his 100% points-scoring streak this season – he was previously the only driver to have one prior to the race.
“Yeah, not much to say,” Norris said to Sky. “Just annoyed I guess.”
“Lap one, I don’t know why it was to happen, why risk doing those stupid things. Nothing I can do, not much to say.”
Norris was slapped with a three-place grid penalty at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for not pitting under the red flag during qualifying and picked up penalty points for his collision with Sergio Perez at the second Austrian race.
These incidents combined with others briefly left him with 10 penalty points and led to him branding the system as “stupid”.
“Of course,” Norris said when asked if he believed Bottas deserved a penalty.
“If I get a penalty for not even doing anything wrong in other tracks, he should deserve a much bigger penalty than what I got.
“We’ll see. I hope they have some common sense, they do what they should do. It’s not up to me at the end of the day.”
When subsequently asked by The Race whether Bottas has apologised, Norris said: “He said sorry. Of course it doesn’t change anything now. But of course he should get a penalty.”
