Perez, eye problems after the C31 fire

Sauber ended Day-3 of the F1 tests at Mugello with a fifth place, but there was no shortage of setbacks for the Swiss team. Sergio Perez was in fact treated for his eyes due to the onset of intoxication.

The Mexican was in fact the victim of a small fire that hit his C31 as he left the pits: the young talent suffered inflammation of his eyes due to the thick smoke released. According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, the black and acrid smoke that came out of the bodywork was to blame: “The smoke was so strong you could smell it in the media center”, correspondent Roger Benoit wrote. “Sergio Perez had to have his eyes treated with eye drops due to the irritating fumes."

The Mexican pilot laconically confirmed the fire but made no further statements after the test: “It was a very unpleasant thing”. Again, Blick said the cause of the smoke was a plastic covering that was burned. Perez nevertheless completed his work programme, which focused on the analysis of various set-ups: in the afternoon he continued to test and evaluate the new aerodynamic parts with the team, doing long journeys with high fuel loads and finishing behind the big names and Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso.

Lorena Bianchi