Sergio Perez could be facing “undesirable consequences” after his behaviour during the Grand Prix weekend in Miami.
While the Mexican topped the timesheet in qualifying, securing pole position, he was unable to convert that to victory, having to settle for P2 behind his teammate Max Verstappen.
However, it was Perez’s behaviour outside of the car that could cost him after he was summoned to see the stewards for an alleged breach of the sporting regulations.
Perez was accused of breaching article 19.4 b of the sporting regulations after he was reportedly late to the pre-race drivers’ parade.
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The Mexican and his representatives pleaded their case to the stewards but he was ultimately found to have breached the rules, resulting in a non-driving punishment and a strongly-worded condemnation from officials.
“The reason for the lateness was the team’s media and other commercial commitments that the driver had to satisfy before turning up for the parade,” the statement read.
“We considered that this was not a valid reason for the lateness.
“A driver turning up late for such events can have undesirable resultant consequences for the event and should be avoided at all times.”
Perez defended his actions in the post-race press conference before his confrontation with the stewards, arguing that it was an innocent mistake after his “marketing team left it too late.”
Verstappen defended his teammate, claiming that drivers “need to do less marketing” on race weekends, as it is impacting their performance.
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“It’s too busy. We need more free time.”
Leaving Miami, Verstappen and Perez remain locked in a tight title fight, as the Dutchman leads the race on 119 points, while the Mexican is close behind on 105.
With four 1-2 finishes and five race wins this season, Red Bull, as a team, has built up a substantial lead in the Constructors’ Standings, with 224 points, 122 ahead of Aston Martin in P2.