Cadillac driver Sergio Pérez will start today’s Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane. The decision was made by the FIA stewards after the team made changes to his car’s suspension setup under parc fermé conditions.
The alterations constitute a breach of the sporting regulations, which prohibit significant setup changes between qualifying and the race.
This penalty compounds a difficult weekend for Pérez, who had already qualified in last position for the race at the Hungaroring. A pit lane start ensures he will begin at the very back of the field, after the grid has passed the pit exit.
The action against Pérez was the latest in a series of post-qualifying interventions by the FIA. Earlier, two separate penalties significantly altered the front of the starting grid for the Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty for unnecessarily impeding Oscar Piastri during the final session of qualifying. Hamilton, who had qualified second, will now start from fifth position.
The stewards determined that Hamilton was driving unnecessarily slowly on the racing line as the McLaren driver approached on a flying lap.
Additionally, Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli also received a three-place grid drop. Antonelli was penalised for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags, which were shown after Max Verstappen spun in Q3.
Telemetry data showed that while Antonelli did lift off the throttle, his speed reduction was deemed insufficient by the stewards. Having qualified fourth, the penalty drops him to seventh on the grid.
These penalties have promoted several drivers. Charles Leclerc moves up to the front row alongside pole-sitter Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen now form the second row, starting third and fourth respectively.
