After the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez received a formal warning for criticizing Formula One stewards for giving him a five-second penalty. The penalty caused Perez to be demoted from second place to fourth, behind his teammate Max Verstappen.
Perez expressed his frustration over team radio, calling the stewards “a joke” and expressing disbelief at their decision. “The stewards are a joke, man,” he said on his slowing down lap. “I cannot believe it. They have been very bad this year but this is a joke. That was really a joke.”
As a result of his comments, Perez was summoned to a post-race hearing with the stewards, who then issued him a warning. They explained that disagreements with their decisions are acceptable, but personal insults are in breach of the International Sporting Code.
In their statement, the stewards acknowledged that Perez had offered a “genuine and sincere apology” for his comments, explaining that he made them in the heat of the moment and did not anticipate them being broadcast to a wider audience. They also noted that Perez has always been respectful in previous stewards hearings.
During the hearing, there was a constructive discussion about the use and broadcast of team radio messages. The incident that led to the penalty was reviewed in detail, and although Perez still disagreed with the decision, he expressed understanding of the stewards’ perspective.
At the end of the statement, it was reported that the incident was covered by Alan Baldwin in London and edited by Hugh Lawson.
