Perez reprimanded for Gasly qualifying incident
Sergio Perez has received a reprimand after being deemed guilty of impeding Pierre Gasly in qualifying for the Portuguese GP.
The Racing Point driver had abandoned a fast run at the end of Q2 and was told by the team towards the end of the lap that Gasly was approaching. He tried to get out of the way of the Frenchman, but it was too late.
The stewards decreed that it was a case of impeding, but in effect gave Perez the benefit of the doubt given the hilly nature of the Portimao track, and the fact that it's harder for drivers to see cars approaching in their mirrors.
In the circumstances they felt that a reprimand was a more appropriate punishment than the three-place grid penalty option that often results from impeding verdicts.
Three reprimands trigger a 10-place grid penalty, but this was the first of the season for the Mexican driver.
In explaining their thinking the stewards said that they had spoken to both drivers and "reviewed multiple angles of video evidence and radio calls to the drivers.
"Perez had just aborted his lap at Turn 10, although he was still travelling at relatively high speed. The topography between Turn 10 and Turn 13 is very hilly, and the drivers have very limited vision of the cars behind them. Further, the time between the turns is very limited.
"At the apex of Turn 13 Perez's team got a radio warning to him that Gasly was approaching at full speed. He immediately pulled to the left at the exit of the corner. However, at this point the fact that he was at the apex as Gasly approached definitely impeded Gasly.
"The stewards considered the difficulty to see that was apparent at this circuit, and compared this incident to others during the season.
"The Stewards therefore felt that this fell on the very edge of being 'unnecessary impeding" (as is stated in the regulation) and issued a reprimand."
Perez ended the Q3 session in fifth place, while Gasly will start from ninth on the grid.
Related video
Hamilton explains "counter-intuitive" medium tyre choice
Mercedes in favour of Formula 1 engine freeze from 2022
2023 Ford GT Mk IV unleashed with bigger engine making 800+hp
Ford is introducing the most extreme version of the GT to date. There have been more than a few retro-flavored special editions of Blue Oval's supercar and the new Mk IV joins them.
New docuseries is publicity that IndyCar deserves and needs
That’s the verdict from two of IndyCar’s biggest stars, Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden, following the announcement of the “100 Days to Indy” series on the CW Network. David Malsher-Lopez reports.
Kevin Magnussen to partner father Jan in Daytona 24 Hours
Racing father and son Jan and Kevin Magnussen are to team up again in next month’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class.
Trackside view: What the brave new world of LMDh really looks like
As the future of sportscar racing in Europe has witnessed a tantalizing drip-drip of Le Mans Hypercars from Toyota, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Ferrari and Vanwall, across the pond in America the LMDh era arrived with a big bang at Daytona last week as Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche all hit the track together for the first time.
Why Mercedes believes it can make the step F1 needs to fight Red Bull
The 2022 Formula 1 season was Mercedes' leanest for a decade, achieving just a solitary pole and grand prix win. Yet the team is confident it has got the tools it needs to cast that disappointment aside and return to the front of the field again next year.
How BRM's one-off F1 double defied its rollercoaster history
It’s 60 years since BRM achieved its goal and Graham Hill led the team to a world title double. But that was just part of the remarkable story of a unique team that at times overstretched its resources and had its fair share of disappointments.
The bold F1 DRS experiment that could end the debate forever
OPINION: The effectiveness of DRS in Formula 1 remains a topic of debate as the winter break gives a chance for reflection on the racing we saw in 2022. For all of its detractors, perhaps an experiment where DRS is cast aside and the impact this has on racing is in order to truly understand its merits in modern F1.
The sliding doors moment that saved Red Bull and Porsche
OPINION: Everything looked set for Red Bull and Porsche to join forces for the 2026 season, before the marriage between both parties was called off. While at the time it looked like a major coup for Formula 1 in gaining both VW Group powerhouses Audi and Porsche for 2026, Red Bull and Porsche have really been spared a potentially fractious relationship.
How Tyrrell’s post-Stewart era descended into a fight to survive
Glory days for Tyrrell became increasingly infrequent after Jackie Stewart’s retirement. But in the latest instalment of his history of the team for Autosport's sister title GP Racing, MAURICE HAMILTON recalls how Ken Tyrrell’s plucky and defiantly small team stayed bold enough to innovate – springing a surprise with F1’s first six-wheeled car
How departing F1 boss Brawn views F1’s new rules - and the future
Multiple-title-winning designer and team boss Ross Brawn is finally leaving Formula 1 after nearly 50 years in motorsport. But he still has plenty of insights on what’s working and what comes next, as he revealed to Motorsport.com in a far-reaching exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi.
The key F1 management call Ferrari must make to avoid more defeat
OPINION: Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari will naturally bring a range of changes across the Formula 1 team. But how the changes shape up and the impact they could have is set to be dictated by a key direction Ferrari’s top dogs will need to pick
The difference between Mercedes’ stumble and the fall of F1 giants
OPINION: Mercedes endured its worst season of the hybrid Formula 1 era, but was mercifully spared its first winless campaign in over a decade late on. It has owned up to the mistakes it made which led to its troubled W13. And while its task to return to title-challenging contention is not small, its 2022 season seems more like a blip than the beginning of a downward spiral.