€25,000 fine and 3 grid penalty places for Sergio Perez at the Spanish Grand Prix
After damaging his F1 car during the race and ignoring the team's instructions, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has been fined €25,000 and received a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Spain. The penalty was justified for safety reasons, according to the FIA stewards at the Canadian Grand Prix.
During the Canadian Grand Prix 2024 held this Sunday, June 9th, Sergio Perez lost grip on a tricky track, hitting the back of his single-seater violently against the wall. With his single-seater destroyed, the Mexican driver returned to the track trying to make it back to the pit lane. This behavior was deemed dangerous by the race stewards and not in compliance with the regulations.
€25,000 fine
According to document 62 issued by the commissioners, the violation of Article 26.10 of the Sporting Regulations carries a fine of 25,000 euros. It is the Red Bull team that will likely have to bear this amount.
« After hitting the barriers at turn 6, the driver continued on the track for the rest of the lap with a significantly damaged car, losing several carbon fiber pieces while returning to the pits. The team confirmed during the hearing that the driver had been instructed to bring the car back to the pits as they were trying to avoid a safety car deployment. » details the FIA statement.
3 penalty spots for Barcelona
Sergio Perez will be given a three-place grid penalty at the next race he participates in, scheduled in two weeks, at the Spanish Grand Prix. The stewards’ decision is based on the fact that Sergio Perez continued to drive despite the damage to his car, losing carbon parts on the track while returning to the pits.
The team confirmed during the hearing that the driver had been instructed to bring the car back to the pits in order to avoid a Safety Car situation.
Indeed, at the moment Sergio Perez made a mistake, it was Max Verstappen, his teammate and three-time F1 world champion, who was leading the race. Introducing a safety car at that time could have allowed competitors to catch up with the Red Bull driver and potentially lose the race.
The team therefore asked Sergio Perez on the radio to come back to the pitstop at all costs to avoid bringing out the safety car.
After his shock, Sergio Perez gave the following message on the radio: *** I think I have serious damage. Should I bring the car back?
His team confirmed to bring the Red Bull back to the pit: « Yes, bring it back, bring it back. »
In a particularly tricky and eventful Grand Prix, bringing back a damaged car can be a wildcard solution in case of a red flag. Indeed, during this period, the team is allowed to change the damaged parts. In case of a long red flag, Red Bull could have therefore repaired its driver’s car.
