Sergio Perez‘s Canadian GP turned out to be disastrous on all fronts. He started the race from P16, which already made things difficult ahead of the start. Furthermore, on Sunday, he couldn’t do much to make up places and crashed into the barriers. Not only did it result in a DNF, it also led to a $26,000 fine and a three-place grid penalty.
After his shunt on lap 52, it was Perez’s slow crawl back to the pits which was deemed unsafe by the stewards. The collision took place at turn six, and it caused significant damage to the RB20’s rear wing.
Still, instead of stopping the car, he took it back to the pits, which could have led to debris spreading all over the track. Hence, Red Bull had to dish out the fine money.
PENALTY: Three-place grid penalty for Perez for the next race he participates in for driving back to the pits with so much damage from his rear wing.
Red Bull admitted it was trying to avoid a Safety Car, also fined €25,000 #F1 #CanadianGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) June 10, 2024
Red Bull, however, made this call to avoid another safety car (there had already been two). Max Verstappen was leading with a five-second gap on older tires and the possibility of a safety car coming out again could have taken the win away from Red Bull.
For Perez, the weekend was a nightmare. The RB20 cannot be blamed, because Verstappen guided it to victory, and things look worse on Perez’s part because he signed a two-year extension with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit just a week ago.
Sergio Perez’s woes continue despite contract extension?
Red Bull wanted to continue with their stable lineup of Perez and Verstappen moving into the 2025 season. However, based on what happened in Monaco and Canada, on paper, it looks like a questionable decision. Especially because talented stars like Carlos Sainz remain available on the market.
Perez’s output is concerning for Red Bull, who will be wary of all the teams catching up to them. Unlike previous years, Verstappen on his own cannot win Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship. Perez has to chime in, and bring in big points, so that the team can retain its title.
On the other hand, Perez might find himself under pressure in the coming races once again. If he repeatedly underperforms, Red Bull won’t hesitate cutting its losses and replacing the 34-year-old.
