Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has been handed a three-place grid drop for the next race for continuing on track with a damaged car during Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Perez was running outside the points late in proceedings when he spun backwards into the barrier at Turn 6 and ended up with terminal damage to his car’s rear wing.
But despite his RB20 shedding carbon fibre that Lando Norris cautioned could have punctured another car’s tyre, the Mexican circulated at a reduced pace to the pits.
Red Bull admitted to the stewards that it had been the team’s call in order to diminish the chances that a Safety Car would come and eradicate Max Verstappen’s lead.
Therefore, the stewards imposed a fine on Red Bull and have given Perez a three-place drop for the Spanish Grand Prix “due to the safety implications of the incident”.
“After making contact with the barriers in turn six, 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’ verdict read.
“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.
“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.
“The penalty is imposed in line with precedents.”
Meanwhile, the stewards elected not to take action over George Russell and Oscar Piastri’s touch at the last chicane, citing that neither driver held predominant blame.
