25/06/2019
NEWS STORY
Almost from the moment he received the time penalty for exceeding the track limits and gaining an advantage - in that he passed two cars in the process - Sergio Perez has argued his innocent, insisting that he rejoined the track, after going off, strictly according to the race director's directive.
Michael Masi, who took over from Charlie Whiting following the Briton's untimely death, explains why the Mexican was penalised.
"With the whole instruction about cutting the circuit at various points, the overriding point at, I think the second last one, is that when someone rejoins, they must firstly rejoin safely, and two, must not gain a lasting advantage," he said.
"Looking at the in-car particularly, when you look at Lance, who was immediately behind him, Sergio's locked up, chosen to go to the left, and bypass the bollard, and come out in front of both Albon and Magnussen.
"So that was part of a discussion that was actually had following Monaco at a drivers' meeting where the drivers actually requested that they need to be behind, effectively, who they entered.
"To be honest, I think if Sergio had chosen going out of Turn 6 to drop back behind those two cars, I think we would have looked at it and said he's created his own disadvantage effectively and dropped into where he should have," he concluded.