Kevin Magnussen said Sergio Perez made a “desperate” attempt to overtake when the pair collided in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Claire Cottingham's articles on RaceFans

Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British GT and W Series. In doing so, she has worked for an extensive list of companies including the BBC, Channel 4, Formula One, 5 Live, Eurosport, BT Sport and ITV in a variety of roles - including lead presenter, writer, pitlane reporter and a historic role as the first female motorsport commentator on terrestrial TV. Claire’s extensive experience goes far beyond motorsport however, and has seen her cover a wide and varied selection of sports on a local, national and international level - ranging from reporting on county cricket matches through to being part of the Olympic Broadcast Services team for both the Olympic and Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Dodging Qatar penalty the only decent thing we got from Perez’s race – Horner
Formula 1
Posted onRed Bull team principal Christian Horner said the team’s unorthodox move to avoid a penalty for Sergio Perez was the only upside to his race.
Mercedes’ call to help Russell using DRS “made no sense” – Hamilton
Formula 1
Posted onLewis Hamilton said Mercedes made the wrong call when he was told to slow down and help his team mate by giving him the opportunity to use his DRS.
Suzuka layout ‘punishes’ Mercedes’ weakness in high-speed corners
Formula 1
Posted onSuzuka’s high-speed corners amplified a weakness of Mercedes’ car and left their drivers on the fourth row of the grid over a second behind pole-winner Max Verstappen.
Sainz blames late set-up change for qualifying performance at Japanese GP
Formula 1
Posted onCarlos Sainz Jnr believes a late set-up change compromised his qualifying result for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell admits he “took a step backwards” after Friday practice
Formula 1
Posted onGeorge Russell said he’s “taken a step backwards” from Friday practice after qualifying eighth for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Steward’s admission Verstappen should have had penalty frustrates his rivals
Formula 1
Posted onMax Verstappen’s rivals were unimpressed a Singapore GP steward admitted they failed to give him a penalty when they should have done.
Piastri “much more comfortable” at new circuits than at start of rookie season
Formula 1
Posted onFormula 1 rookie Oscar Piastri believes he’s much better prepared to race at unfamiliar circuits than he was at the start of the 2023 season.
Ferrari’s “big step forward” brought unwelcome balance change for Leclerc
Formula 1
Posted onCharles Leclerc says the changes Ferrari have made to improve the SF-23’s performance have resulted in a car which doesn’t suit his driving style.
Analysis: Is Stroll’s deficit to Alonso really a question of ‘points, not performance’?
2023 F1 season
Posted onFollowing the Italian GP, the 14th round of the F1 season, Lance Stroll trails team mate Fernando Alonso by 123 points in the standings
Perez still not driving RB19 “naturally” despite improvements
Formula 1
Posted onSergio Perez says he’s still not fully comfortable at the wheel of his Red Bull, despite recent improvements in its handling.
Vasseur was “not too stressed” despite “emotional” first win as Ferrari boss
Formula 1
Posted onIt took 159 attempts for Frederic Vasseur to oversee an F1 win as a team principal, and Carlos Sainz Jnr delivered him the goods in the Singapore GP.
Magnussen “worked my ass off” to inherit final point on last lap
Formula 1
Posted onKevin Magnussen said he had done a lot to earn the final point on offer last weekend after inheriting 10th place when George Russell crashed on the last lap.
O’Ward to drive for McLaren in Abu Dhabi practice and post-season test
Formula 1
Posted onMcLaren team principal Andrea Stella has confirmed Pato O’Ward will test for the team again during and after the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Paddock Diary: 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
Formula 1
Posted onCarlos Sainz Jnr’s joy at scoring his second win and breaking Red Bull’s dominant run contrasted with George Russell’s dejection after his last-lap crash.
Point-less Aston Martin “expected a strong weekend in Singapore” – Alonso
Formula 1
Posted onFernando Alonso says Aston Martin fell short of their expectations in Singapore, on a track they thought would suit their car.
Mercedes “could have finished first and second”, admits Wolff
Formula 1
Posted onMercedes missed an opportunity to score their first victory of the season and even take a one-two finish in Singapore last weekend, team principal Toto Wolff has admitted.
Lawson feared he’d lose first points finish as Red Bull pair caught him
Formula 1
Posted onLiam Lawson did not believe his first Formula 1 points finish was possible until late in the Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton says he wouldn’t have made a second pit stop in Russell’s position
Formula 1
Posted onLewis Hamilton isn’t convinced George Russell made the right call by pitting from second place during a Virtual Safety Car period in the Singapore Grand Prix.
Russell has “the most horrendous feeling” over “pathetic mistake” on last lap
Formula 1
Posted onGeorge Russell said was heartbroken over the “pathetic” last lap error which cost him a podium finish in the Singapore Grand Prix.