FIA Safety Car, Singapore, 2022

Perez believes his win is safe after Safety Car incident hearing

2022 Singapore Grand Prix

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Sergio Perez expects he will keep his victory in the Singapore Grand Prix after the hearing over his driving behind the Safety Car during the race.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton queried whether Perez had complied with the rules which state drivers may only drop more than 10 car lengths behind the Safety Car when its lights are extinguished prior to a restart.

The stewards announced before the end of the race Perez was under investigation for failing to comply with the rule. He attended a hearing immediately after the podium ceremony for what would be his fourth career victory, if he keeps it.

Speaking to media in the FIA press conference after the race Perez was optimistic the stewards will not penalise him. He said there had been communication problems with the Safety Car driver, Bernd Maylander.

“I’m pretty confident there’s nothing with it because there was a bit of miscommunication with Bernd,” Perez explained.

He said the track conditions made it hard to stay close to the Safety Car at some points around the track.

“I think, on the places where I could keep up with him, he was super-slow, and the places where I could not keep up with him, he was fast,” said Perez. “So it was a bit of miscommunication there.

“But I think these conditions are not normal. So it’s fully understandable that the conditions that we were in, we were facing, especially the final sector, were super tricky.

“So I do expect no further action in that as the stewards were pleased with my explanation and they understood it.”

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2022 Singapore Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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4 comments on “Perez believes his win is safe after Safety Car incident hearing”

  1. “places where I could not keep up with him”
    Anyone else chuckle at this line?

    1. Yes sounds a bit unbelieveble. but still its a good defence just like a doctor statement for a nose pearcing

    2. I think he was referring to the slippery part before and after the tunnel/bridge where the safety car had a advantage much beter grip in the corners.

  2. Why did they announce they would investigate that first incident behind the SC only ages after it happened, quite a bit of time after the second safety car ended? I wondered whether the reason they even started investigating him was that he gestured at the SC in annoyance at one point.

    Wouldn’t surprise me this year really, the FIA seem to be rather about making their point who is in charge (see also the thing about the underwear earlier this year and the thing with Hamilton’s nosebud).

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