Sergio Perez is currently under investigation by the São Paulo Grand Prix stewards following an incident during Free Practice 3 where he was observed discarding an object from his Red Bull car. The stewards have cited the Mexican driver for ‘alleged driving in an unsafe condition’ at the Interlagos circuit.
The incident occurred late in the hour-long session on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Perez finished 20th on the timesheet, nearly two seconds adrift of pacesetter Max Verstappen.
During a radio exchange, Perez’s race engineer, Carlo Pasetti, questioned him directly: “We saw you throwing something out of your car on the outlap. What was it?”
Perez responded, stating, “I don’t know. It was, errr, something came off. I think the radio, where you put the radio cables. A little box.” Pasetti confirmed receipt of the information, indicating the team would investigate.
The São Paulo GP stewards will convene with Perez prior to today’s qualifying session. Qualifying is scheduled to commence at 3 PM local time in São Paulo, which is 6 PM GMT.
FIA Sporting Regulations govern various aspects of Formula 1, including car specifications and racing procedures, with a primary focus on driver safety and fair competition.
Article B1.6.2(b) of the 2026 FIA Sporting Regulations mandates that cars must not be released from a garage or pit stop position in an unsafe condition. While Perez’s incident involves discarding an object on track, it falls under the broader scope of maintaining safe operational conditions.
Penalties for infringements related to unsafe conditions can vary. For instance, releasing a car in an unsafe condition during a practice session typically results in a team fine.
However, if a driver is found to be operating a car knowing it to be in an unsafe condition, a five-place grid penalty for the subsequent race can be imposed if the incident occurs in practice or qualifying.
Stewards consider the specific circumstances and whether a driver is predominantly to blame when determining sanctions. Potential penalties range from reprimands and fines to grid-position drops, drive-through penalties, or stop-and-go penalties.
This is not the first instance of an object being discarded from a car. In 2010, Rubens Barrichello threw his steering wheel onto the track after a crash in Monaco, though he was not fined, citing the need for a rapid exit due to fire.
More recently, George Russell was investigated in May 2026 for allegedly throwing items from his car onto the track after stopping.
Red Bull Racing has encountered radio communication issues during recent Grand Prix weekends in 2026, including the Singapore, United States, and Mexican GPs.
Max Verstappen had previously reported problems with his connection to the pit wall. Driver communication systems typically involve a microphone in the helmet connected to an On-Car Communications Unit (OCU) on the car.
Perez’s description of a “radio box” or “radio cables” aligns with components of this system, suggesting a potential technical failure. The outcome of the stewards’ investigation will clarify any repercussions for Perez ahead of qualifying.
