Did Felipe Nasr fail to play fair with Jolyon Palmer?
Still no points for the Sauber F1 Team in 2016. 16th place for Marcus Ericsson and a collision for Felip Nasr with Palmer's Renault. Surprisingly, after receiving a 10-second penalty, the Brazilian returned to the track to honour his penalty... before retiring in the process!
Starting 19th behind Felipe Nasr, Marcus Ericsson stayed clear of trouble to finish his Grand Prix, a week after retiring at Spa due to a gearbox issue.
The Swedish driver has already performed better this season, but on a circuit poorly suited to his car, he must settle for a sixteenth-place finish, ahead of Magnussen’s Renault and Esteban Ocon’s Manor.
« It was a decent race. I’m still disappointed not to have been able to fight for points. However, it feels like we’ve taken a step forward since the summer break, although we’re not yet where we want to be.
Monza is a unique race in terms of technical characteristics with its high speeds. The Singapore circuit requires more downforce, so it will be interesting to see our potential there with regard to our package.
This time, it was Felipe Nasr who retired before the checkered flag. Third retirement of the season for the Brazilian, the second due to a collision. After having a scuffle with Ericsson in Monaco, it was Palmer’s Renault that clashed with his C35 at Monza as early as the second lap. But as you noted in the race summary, he bears significant responsibility for the accident. The stewards also noticed it, imposing a 10-second penalty on his race time.
However, Nasr learned about this penalty… in his garage, while his mechanics were busy around his damaged car. Consequently, the number 12 on the grid went back on track until the sixth lap, just to serve his penalty… and avoid it being applied in two weeks in Singapore! A rather contentious action regarding Jolyon Palmer…
« It was a disappointing race for me with this premature end. Yet, I had a good start again, gaining four positions. It’s really disappointing to have had to retire after this collision with Palmer, as the damage wasn’t completely repairable. I now hope that we’ll have a trouble-free weekend in Singapore. »
Reacting to the beginnings of a controversy, Monisha Kaltenborn notably defended her driver in front of the journalists:
« The incident with Felipe was not his fault, we didn’t understand why he was penalized! Marcus did his best and achieved a good performance. This kind of weekend should still encourage us and show that we are capable of finishing the race higher if we also manage to do better in Qualifications! »
