Local Formula One ace has become embroiled in a feisty row with a rival driver after both ended up in the hospital following a high-speed crash at Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
The Guadalajara-born Force India driver and Brazil’s Felipe Massa of the Williams team were disputing fourth place with two laps to go in the 72-lap race. The two cars touched at around 180 miles an hour when Massa tried an overtaking maneuver shortly after coming out of the circuit’s chicane. Both cars careened into the safety barriers, narrowly missing other cars. Yellow flags came out as the drivers were airlifted away for medical checks.
Fortunately, neither sustained any injuries and both were released within a few hours.
Massa later slammed Perez for “changing his driving line” during the overtaking maneuver. Race stewards agreed with him, slapping the Mexican with a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.
Perez later took to social media to defend his driving. “I was following the same line and braking patterns as in the previous laps and I just got hit from behind by Massa,” he said. “There was plenty of space on the left of my car to attempt a clean overtake and I cannot understand why he had to scrape by.”
Massa claims Perez pulled slightly to the left as he went to overtake. “I spoke to (Perez) at the medical center. I was so disappointed with him. I said he needs to learn. I wanted him to put himself in my place because I had a huge crash.
“It’s not the first time he turned into somebody under braking. He has done this many times, but he didn’t say anything. He just turned and left.”
Massa said the five-grid penalty was insufficient given the seriousness of an accident that could have had far more consequential repercussions.