P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Why Red Bull exploited a penalty loophole with Perez at Suzuka
Sergio Perez’s Japanese Grand Prix took a strange turn when he initially retired his car, only to be sent back out by the team 26 laps later. After being at fault for a collision and receiving a five-second time penalty, Perez retired before serving the penalty. To avoid the potential of further penalties in the next race, Red Bull sent him back out to complete an out-lap, serve the penalty, and then retire again. This was done to protect his position in the Drivers’ Championship. While the regulations allow for penalties to be carried over if a driver retires, it is not obligatory for stewards to do so. Red Bull has done a similar strategy before with Perez in the Belgian Grand Prix. It may be worth revisiting the regulation to prevent carrying over harsher penalties, as retiring from a race should be punishment enough.
Source: RacingNews 365
