Perez fined and penalised for Canadian GP infringement

Sergio Perez has been handed a three-place grid penalty and Red Bull fined 25,000 euros for a breach of regulations.

The Mexican endured a difficult Canadian Grand Prix, starting off by failing to make it out of the first part of Qualifying and lining up 16th on the grid.

Following contact on the first lap with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Perez fell under the radar as he failed to make up ground as the race progressed. Pushing to make up ground on a drying track, the Red Bull driver lost control of his RB20 at Turn 6 on lap 53 and destroyed his rear wing.

Attempting to drag his damaged car back to the pits, Perez left a trail of carbon fibre parts in his wake around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, something which the race stewards saw in a harsh manner.

The 34-year-old, looking to celebrate a recent two-year contract extension with the Milton Keynes-based outfit he races for, had a “total disaster” of a weekend by his own admission. This penalty only adds salt to Perez’s deep wounds.

A necessary sporting penalty

After reviewing footage and speaking to Perez and Red Bull representatives, the race stewards decided to hand the driver a three-place grid penalty. This will be applied after Qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Furthermore, Red Bull have been fined 25,000 euros for the same reason, for failing to advise Perez on the leal and safest course of action following his incident on track.

The amount of debris strewn over the circuit as Perez made his way back to the Red Bull pit box presented a safety hazard for the remaining cars participating in the race. As the FIA report stated: “After making contact with the barriers in Turn 6, the driver continued on track for the remainder of the lap with a significantly damaged car and thereby lost several carbon fibre parts on the way back to the pits.

“The Stewards determine that, as well as a financial penalty for the team, a sporting penalty is necessary due to the safety implications of the incident.”

Furthermore, Red Bull admitted that the reason for their asking Perez to limp back to the pits was to prevent the calling of a Safety Car and protect teammate Max Verstappen’s sizeable advantage in first position. The report added: “The team confirmed in the hearing that the driver had been advised to bring the car back to the pits as they were trying to avoid a Safety Car situation.”

Pole position is off the cards for Perez in Spain, but the Mexican driver has to first focus on getting out of the initial phases of Qualifying. Can he help Red Bull stay ahead in the Constructors’ Championship with the likes of McLaren and Ferrari bearing down on them?

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images