Perez Calls For Drivers Who Cause Red Flags To Be Penalised

You might have missed it but qualifying in Imola was a record-breaker. Why? Considering the upturned wet running saw a whopping five red flags wideness the session, eclipsing the four seen at the 2016 Hungarian GP and the 2021 Azerbaijan GP. 

Every time the track seemed to be clear, flipside suburbanite found themselves bringing out the red flag – whether it was Alex Albon’s rear restriction exploding in Q1, Carlos Sainz’s crash in Q2 or Lando Norris, Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas all grinding Q3 to a halt.

Despite Magnussen’s spin wideness the gravel and Norris’ session-ending crash, both drivers outqualified Sergio Perez for the Sprint and the Red Bull suburbanite wasn’t happy well-nigh what he saw as an unfair advantage.

“On the red flags, I think it was pretty intense with all the red flags and I finger like we should review the rules considering I finger like if a suburbanite makes a mistake and causes a red flag he should be penalised somehow,” Checo remarked.

“I think when we go to other tracks like Monaco or places like that, it can unquestionably be an advantage, you can have a mistake and still be on pole so it will be nice to review.

“I know Lando did a mistake, I was one of the drivers that did it. Just going forward, I think it would be good to make sure that if you make a mistake you pay for it. ”

This issue was in the spotlight last season when Charles Leclerc grabbed pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, despite crashing on his final lap and denying the likes of Max Verstappen a final attempt.

After that incident, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff tabbed for a transpiration in the rules similar to IndyCar, where drivers who rationalization a red flag forfeit their two weightier laps.

“I didn’t know that that was the rule in the US but I think it’s an intelligent rule that would stave confusion,” he told The Race.

Should drivers who bring out red flags be penalised? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.