Q1 exit, collision at the start, stuck in the back of the field for ages, finally crashed and retired. Given this record, it’s hard to imagine that the Canada weekend could get any worse for Sergio Perez. But it can. A good four and a half hours after the end of the race, Red Bull is being dealt with harshly. This means that Perez is already behind for the Spanish GP.
The stewards have ruled that Perez will have to start his next race from three places further back. And that’s not all: Red Bull has to pay a fine of 25,000 euros, the second highest fine imposed in the current Formula 1 season. The origin of these penalties is Perez’s accident. More precisely, the attempt to tow the broken car back to the pits.
On lap 52, Perez spun in turn six and crashed backwards into the barrier, causing severe damage to the rear of his car. Red Bull got going again and drove back to the pits with a dangling rear wing in tow, but there his race was definitely over. This reversal was what proved to be his and the team’s undoing.
Safety car prevented: Stewards take tough action against Red Bull
In the eyes of the stewards, the RB20 was too badly damaged to be moved safely. They also consider this to be proven because Perez lost several carbon parts on the way back. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the team and driver to pull the ripcord and park the car in a safe place as quickly as possible.
Perez and Red Bull did not accept this responsibility. Quite the opposite. “The team confirmed at the hearing that the driver was instructed to bring the car back to the pits because they wanted to avoid a safety car,” the stewards explained. At that point, Max Verstappen, in the lead, finally had the race under control, but Lando Norris, who was chasing him, had slightly fresher tires.
For the stewards, this kind of behavior is unacceptable. And because of the safety aspect, the fine for the team alone is not enough for them; Perez must also be penalized for three places on the grid.
Red Bull’s hopes of avoiding a late safety car were dashed a few laps later after another accident at the same spot where Perez had gone off the track – this time caused by Carlos Sainz. Ultimately, however, the worries were unfounded. Although two of Verstappen’s pursuers took the opportunity to get new tires, he was able to drive home the win safely.