Severe Perez penalty revealed after Canadian GP investigation

Sergio Perez has received a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix after being found guilty of driving his car in an unsafe condition.

Perez spun into the wall at Turn 6 on lap 53 of the race and suffered major damage to his rear wing.

The Red Bull driver returned to the pit lane under his own power to retire from the race.

However, he deposited debris on the track as he did so, leading to the stewards calling an investigation for driving his car in an unsafe condition.

On top of the three-place grid drop for the race in Barcleona, Red Bull has been fined €25,000.

Stewards’ statement

“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,” read a statement from the stewards. 

“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.”