SINGAPORE, Sept 19 (Askume) – Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz said they were in no pain after last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and expect to win on Sunday in what could be a spectacular race in Singapore.
The pair crashed just before the final lap while competing for third place in Baku, a collision that handed McLaren a 20-point lead in the championship.
“It was the wrong move at the wrong time, and I think it doesn’t matter who’s to blame at this point,” Perez told reporters Thursday.
Saenz said the two sat together in an awkward and tragic position while hooked up to a heart rate monitor at the medical center for about 20 minutes after the crash.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘Guys, what happened there?’ Our reaction was: I don’t know. But I promise I didn’t do anything bad to you… I locked you up.’ I didn’t do anything,” the Spaniard said.
“We are discussing and trying to analyse what happened.
“It was a forum. We joked around, so there were no hard feelings towards each other.”
Perez said claims on social media that he hit Sainz on the helmet or pushed the Ferrari driver in the head immediately after the crash were exaggerated.
“I was talking to him, I didn’t hit him on the head. The situation was much worse than it appears in the video. Carlos is one of my best friends in the drivers’ group,” the Mexican said.
“The last person I want to see is Carlos. But we have turned the page and hopefully we will all have a good game.”
Saenz said he did not hear what Perez said while getting into the car.
Perez praised his mechanics for the good job they did in repairing the damaged car and hoped the latest specifications would be available in Singapore.
“It shows that we are working hard, which is very encouraging and I really hope I can repay them with a good result on Sunday,” he said.
