Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsForce India

Perez given eight-place grid drop for yellow flag infringements

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Sergio Perez has been handed an eight-place grid penalty for yellow flag infringements during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Perez was called to the stewards after setting his fastest time in Q2 - which saw him progress to Q3 - despite passing double waved yellow flags for Romain Grosjean's Haas at Turn 10, as well as for overtaking Esteban Gutierrez under another set of yellow flags later in the lap.

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Following the end of the session, Perez claimed he had lost around 0.6s overall on the lap after lifting in both zones, and explained he overtook Gutierrez after the Mexican moved off the racing line for him.

However, the stewards have opted to punish Perez with a combined eight-place grid penalty for the incidents, with a five-place grid penalty for failing to slow "significantly" for the double waved yellow flags at Turn 10.

"The driver of car 11 failed to reduce his speed significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop as required under Art2.4.5.1(b) when double yellow flags were being waved at both Turns 9 and 10," the stewards decision read.

"The Stewards took into consideration the fact that the driver had two corners in which to slow down significantly and failed to do so and both of which were blind corners (including one where the accident had taken place and where the damaged car was still in the barriers) and where the driver would not have known if the track had a hazard wholly or partly blocking the track and/or marshals working on or beside the track."

In addition, Perez has been handed a three-place grid penalty for overtaking Gutierrez under yellow flags. The combined penalty means Perez will start from 18th on the grid, while he also receives three penalty points for the first indiscretion.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.