F1’s technical failure contributed to Perez/Ocon clash

Formula 1 stewards have absolved Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon of culpability after the duo collided during first practice at Imola on Friday morning.

The pair brushed wheels on the approach to the Villeneuve chicane during FP1.

The contact caused damage to the left-rear of Perez’s Red Bull RB16B while Ocon’s Alpine A521 sustained right-front damage.

Both drivers stopped on track and the session was suspended while their respective cars were cleared.

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Limited TV footage was available owing to technical issues between Formula 1’s broadcast centre in the United Kingdom and Italy.

The problems also affected other systems in Formula 1, including live timing, data gathering and radio communications.

Stewards outlined the sequence of events, with Ocon slowing before the left-right complex in order to let Perez by, as well as moving to the inside of the track.

Perez was on a fast lap and both cars reached the apex at the same time “and just barely touched wheels.”

Both drivers agreed that it “was an unfortunate miscommunication of timing between them, not helped by the fact that they had limited or no communications with their teams at the time.”

Perez and Ocon concurred with each other that neither was at fault.