Pérez penalty upheld by FIA - Stewards remain convinced that Sergio is to blame
Published by Christine
Force India’s request for the FIA to review the grid penalty given to Sergio Pérez after his crash with Felipe Massa in Canada has ended with no change. The governing body upheld the stewards decision, and the five place grid drop remains for the Austrian Grand Prix.
The new evidence from Force India included fresh conversations with Pérez, who was previously interviewed at the hospital whilst there for checks, as well as data from the car. The FIA weren’t impressed, however, repeating: “It was clear to the stewards that the defence of his position occurred in the braking area. Article 20.4 specifically states [that] must occur prior to any braking area.”
Sergio hasn’t taken the news very well, saying: “We felt very confident we had the proof. The stewards looked to be quite sensible and agreed to an extent with everything I said there but the situation didn’t change at all.” He added: "I don't feel it's fair for the sport or the fans to penalise a driver in a situation like this."
