FIA Rejects Ferrari’s Protests Against Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen

The Monaco Grand Prix results will stand as the FIA rejects both of Ferrari’s protests against Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen over alleged pit exit infractions.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said prior to the decision being announced that he “believe[s] it was right to seek for clarification.”

“The intention to protest is not really protesting Red Bull itself, but seeking clarification on a matter which, for us, it’s so obvious and clear.” 

Both Red Bull drivers stopped for dry tires on lap 23 and appeared to cross the pit-lane exit line rather than staying to the right. The FIA did not launch an investigation during the race, which Pérez later won while the Dutchman finished in third; however, Pérez slid when exiting pit lane, forcing him close to the line which the stewards noted during the race. Ferrari’s drivers—Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc—came in second and fourth, respectively. 

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, per Sky Sports, after the race that the protest was filed against Verstappen, but Binotto said one is against Pérez as well. Both drivers have been summoned by the stewards. 

“We believe that both Red Bulls were on the line, on the yellow line, exceeding the pit lane,” Binotto said in the Ferrari post-race press conference. “And in the past, it has always been penalized…

“More than that, if you read the race director notes, it’s clearly written, and that has been clearly written I think after Turkey 2020 to avoid any misunderstanding, that you need to stay on the right of the yellow line. Just to avoid confusion on the wording crossing, being on the line, you need to stay right on the right of the yellow line. And for us, it was not the case at all.”

According to BBC, the stewards determined that Verstappen did not have a full wheel to the left of the line while no part of Pérez’s wheel was to the left of the yellow line.