General
Did FIA miss time penalty for Perez in the United States? The proof is there!
- Ludo van Denderen
Formula 1 has now touched down in Mexico, yet the race in the United States a week ago is still keeping spirits high. After the race, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lost their rankings in the final standings because their floor did not comply with the set conditions. During the races, Alex Albon was penalised for exceeding the track limits too often. Judging from new footage, he probably should not have been the only one penalised.
Sergio Perez, who was classified fourth in the US, appears to have crossed track limits on several occasions, according to Auto, Motor und Sport in an analysis. The magazine reviewed footage from the race again and concluded that the Red Bull Racing Mexican committed many, unsanctioned offences. This refers to Turn 6, where the magazine found that Perez came out on the wrong side on several occasions "about twenty centimetres".
Turn 6 marks the end of the fast corner in the first sector. It is a long right-hand turn where drivers come onto the kerbs. This corner is particularly important in view of the upcoming turns 7, 8 and 9. Perez took the corner a bit wider, possibly to get a better position on the rest of the second sector, but this was not allowed. Moreover, Perez gained some time here, and he was certainly not the only driver.
Meanwhile, according to Auto, Motor und Sport, it is also clear why more penalties were not handed out. This is because the cameras were set up incorrectly. So the stewards could never fully assess whether there were any violations at Turn 6. A stroke of luck for Perez, then, and a lot of others.