DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the stewards’ decision to penalize him with a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy. The French driver, who started in second position, engaged in a fierce battle for the lead with Cassidy during the chaotic race. Unfortunately, the contact between the two resulted in Cassidy suffering more damage, forcing him to make a pit stop for repairs and ultimately retire from the race. This penalty dropped Vergne down to seventh place, which was a disappointment considering the impressive performance of the Penske team throughout the weekend.
When asked about his opinion on the fairness of the penalty, Vergne stated, “I’m planning to discuss this with the stewards, but I must say that it was the most unjust penalty I have ever received in my entire career, including my time in karting.” He further elaborated on the incident, highlighting that multiple drivers made contact with him during the race, causing damage to his car. Despite this, he emphasized that he had given Cassidy enough space to avoid a more severe collision. In fact, if he had not done so, Cassidy could have potentially crashed into the wall. Moreover, Vergne made it clear that he was ahead of Cassidy at the time of the incident.
When questioned about whether the strong performance of the car gives him hope for a better outcome in the upcoming race, Vergne simply responded with a confident “yes.”