Formula One rookie Sergio Perez has escaped from a horrifying crash in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix without serious injuries.
The 21-year-old Mexican lost control of his Sauber heading into the Nouveau Chicane with less than three minutes remaining in Q3 – bouncing off of the armco barrier on the right-hand side of the track before sliding through the chicane and making heavy side-on contact with the protruding wall.
Perez was taken to hospital following a lengthy extraction period, where he was examined by doctors.
“The doctors said Perez had suffered concussion and a sprained thigh, but no broken bones and, following a scan, they could find no further injuries,” read a statement from the Sauber team.
“The reason for the accident will be investigated and the team will update the media as soon as it has any further information.”
It is expected that Perez, who scored the first Formula One points of his career one week ago in Spain, will not race tomorrow.
Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber was one of many drivers to question the safety of the chicane design following the session.
Webber pointed to similar incidents at Nouveau involving Jenson Button in 2003 and Karl Wendlinger in 1994 as further evidence that change is needed.
“He (Perez) will bounce back from this I’m sure, but we can learn from this incident,” said Webber.
“In terms of safety it’s probably an area we need to look at improving for the future.
“JB was lucky, Karl Wendlinger back in the mid-1990s… so I think there’s a few places around here that we need to continue to keep an eye on.”
See below for footage of Perez’s crash
See below for video of the Button and Wendlinger crashes
Click below to view Speedcafe.com’s Monaco Race Guide
