Sergio Perez and Alex Albon shared surprised after the pair crashed during first free practice for this weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
The Mexican and the Anglo-Thai driver were approaching the final chicane of the renowned circuit during FP1 when the two touched.
Both cars were on push laps, with Albon predictably faster in his Williams than the veteran’s Cadillac.
Upon getting to the braking zone, Albon dived down the inside and appeared to be unsighted as Perez turned in on him.
Things got a little bumpy for Albon and Perez in FP1 😮#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/sj7TiTmJYb
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 27, 2026
The two touched, and the FW48 was left with front wing damage, and causing a multitude of bodywork strewn across the circuit.
Both drivers radioed in to their pit, with Albon questioning whether Perez had actually spotted him, saying: “I don’t know if he even saw me.”
Perez appeared to corroborate this theory of Albon’s, as he told his team’s pit wall: “Oh my god, I had no idea the Williams was right next to us, it crashed into me.”
The stewards placed both men under investigation, citing an “alleged breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the International Sporting Code”.
But both men were let off without further punishment, with the report concluding: “The collision was therefore the result of a misunderstanding contributed to by a lack of communication by the team to the Driver of Car 11.
“Both Drivers accepted that neither of them was wholly or predominatly to blame for it. The Stewards therefore determined to take no further action.”
Albon is looking to bounce back from his DNS in China, with Perez aiming to secure another race finish for the new American outfit.
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