Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez Collide During Post-Season Testing in Abu Dhabi

Post-season testing got underway after the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. Unfortunately for Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, luck was not by his side as he got involved in a small tangle with Racing Point’s Sergio Perez.

The incident was reminiscent of the collision between Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean. While the Mexican driver was able to continue, the German was left facing the wrong way, before he eventually turned around to continue.

For a fairly long time, Sebastian Vettel earned himself a reputation for spinning his car a lot. One can hark back to the Italian Grand Prix earlier this year where he spun and clipped another Racing Point, this time it was Lance Stroll. The Canadian was understandably furious, as he was an innocent victim in the whole melee.

Sebastian Vettel had spun off on his own at the time, and when he rejoined hastily, he clobbered Stroll. The youngster barely managed to avoid hitting Pierre Gasly in the process.

Admittedly, this time it was Vettel who was the victim, as he was tagged out by Perez. Meanwhile, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas set the pace during the session and was out for a fairly long time. In fact, the Finn banked in a 138-lap tally, with only Max Verstappen (153) and Romain Grosjean (146) completing more mileage.

Although the 4-time world champion lost an hour of running in the morning, he racked up just two fewer laps than Bottas. What also did not help Vettel’s cause was a exhaust issue on the SF90.

The good news was that he set the second fastest time, ahead of Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat. In other news, Esteban Ocon got his first taste of the Renault, while two rookies made an appearance. They were, Toro Rosso’s Sean Gelael and Williams’ Roy Nissany.