Perez penalized by 5 seconds after the race, but still keeps the win!
Sergio Pérez has been penalized by the track officials with a 5-second time penalty added to his overall race time. Despite this penalty, he retains his victory as Charles Leclerc was more than 5 seconds behind.
The FIA properly sanctioned the Mexican driver following the Singapore Grand Prix. Accused of violating the sporting regulations regarding the gap behind the safety car, he was penalized with a 5-second time addition to his final race time.
Fortunately for him, his pursuers were further away. Charles Leclerc, who finished second, ended the race 7.5 seconds behind. The Red Bull driver, despite this penalty, remains in first place in the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix and can keep his victory.
The 5-second penalty awarded was probable, but some believed that a higher penalty could have been given. So, things are finalized and the final ranking is established.
View the result of the 2022 Singapore F1 Grand Prix
The regulation specifies that the driver behind the safety car must never be more than 10 car lengths away. By violating Article 55.10 of the regulation, Sergio Pérez was under investigation even before the Grand Prix had finished, but the FIA only made their decision after the race. In fact, on lap 36, as the safety car was returning to the pit lane, clearing the way for the drivers, Perez’s radio instructed him to slow down and maintain the indicated delta on his steering wheel. Unfortunately for Perez, he slowed down too much, creating a significant gap behind him among the other drivers who were unable to catch up with the front.
In addition to these 5 seconds, Perez loses 2 points on his super license. These are the only points lost by the Mexican driver in the last 12 months, out of a possible 12.
