Alexander Albon avoids punishment for causing collision at Japan GP
27th March 2026Williams’ Alexander Albon has avoided punishment by the stewards after he collided with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
feature image credit: Pirelli
In Free Practice 1, late in the session, both Albon and Perez came together at the penultimate corner of the Japanese Suzuka Circuit, but the stewards have deemed no further action for the incident.
Onboards showed that Albon was approaching the back of Perez heading up to turn 16, and the Williams driver tried an overtake down the inside of the Cadillac. However, the two ultimately came together at the apex, forcing Perez over the run-off, as Albon spun out.
Debris littered the track after the two collided, but neither a Virtual Safety Car or red flag was warranted.
However, in the hearing, Perez confirmed he had not seen Albon approaching – claiming his virtual mirror was not working – and the team failed to let him know of the fast-approaching Williams. The Cadillac team expected that Albon would hold position, and didn’t realise the extent to which Albon had caught up to Perez.
At the same time, Albon thought the line Perez took was an open door for the Williams, allowing him to get past.
Neither driver blamed the other for the incident, and the Stewards deemed the collision to be a misunderstanding, which contributed to a lack of communication from Cadillac. In their report, they said:
“The Driver of Car 11 explained that he was on a race-run lap and was about to commence another. He had seen Car 23 some distance behind when he had exited turn 14. Car 23 was on an out lap and gained significanlly on Car 11 through turn 15 and on the approach to turn 16.
“Car 23 moved to overtake Car 11 on the inside at turn 16 and a collision occurred. The Driver of Car 11 said that he did not see Car 23, his virtual mirror was not working and he had not received any warning from his team of Car 23’s approach. This was confirmed by his team radio.
“The team explained that they had assumed that Car 23 would hold position behind Car 11 and had not noticed the extent to which Car 23 had gained on Car 11 and for that reason did not warn the Driver of Car 11.
“The Driver of Car 23 said that he believed from the wide line taken by Car 11 at the entry to turn 16 that Car 11 was letting him through. Both Drivers were surprised by the closing speeds.
“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.”
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