Sergio Perez: Red Bull driver handed grid penalty for Spanish Grand Prix and team fined for safety breach

Sergio Perez’s dismal Canadian Grand Prix has been compounded by a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Spain for driving back to the pits after sustaining major damage to his car.

Red Bull have also been fined $25,000 (£19,648) for the incident.

Perez and team representatives were called to the stewards after Sunday’s race, from which he retired as a result of the damage to his car, to explain why he had driven back to the pit lane with his RB20’s rear wing hanging off after breaking it in a crash at Turn Six on lap 53.

In their statement confirming the punishment, stewards said Red Bull had told them that Perez “had been advised to bring the car back to the pits as they were trying to avoid a Safety Car situation”.

Max Verstappen was leading the race at the time in the other Red Bull and went on to win.

Stewards ruled that driver and team had broken Article 26.10 of F1’s Sporting Regulations, which states: “If a driver has serious mechanical difficulties, he must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so.”

They said Perez’s car “lost several carbon fibre parts on the way back to the pits”.

The stewards’ panel decided that a sporting penalty for Perez for the Spanish GP on June 23 – when he will now start no higher than fourth – was warranted in addition to a financial sanction for the team.

The stewards’ verdict in full

Fact: Car 11 [Perez] failed to leave the track with serious mechanical difficulties after significantly damaging the rear wing.

Infringement: Breach of Article 26.10 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.

Decision: The competitor (Oracle Red Bull Racing) is fined €25,000. Additionally, a drop of three grid positions for the next race in which the driver participates.

Reason: “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 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.”

Horner reflects on Perez’s ‘horrible’ weekend: ‘We need him back up there’

Perez headed into the Montreal weekend on the back of the announcement that he had signed a new two-year contract to stay at F1’s world champions, but the event could barely have gone any worse for him.

The 34-year-old failed to make the top 10 in qualifying for the third race running – dropping out in Q1 for the second event in a row in 16th place – and then was well out of the points in the race before his race-ending crash.

“That was a horrible weekend for Checo,” admitted team boss Christian Horner to Sky Sports F1.

“Obviously we picked up some damage, so he’ll need to come back strong in Barcelona.

“Thankfully Ferrari had a shocker, so didn’t pick up any points, so that let us off the hook somewhat.

“But we need both cars scoring. We got away with it today but we need Checo back up there where he was at the beginning of the year from Barcelona onwards.”

Perez also retired from the last race, in Monaco, after being involved in a huge first-lap accident with Kevin Magnussen. He is on a four-race run without a podium since finishing second three times, and third once, in the season’s opening five rounds.

Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from June 21-23 live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime