Sergio Perez exceeded F1 track limits “several times” at COTA but escaped punishment due to improper checking - Reports

Sergio Perez was reportedly lucky to escape penalty for exceeding track limits during the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend.

With Max Verstappen's triumph and disqualifications for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, the United States GP in Austin proved to be a weekend of mixed fortunes for F1 drivers.

Meanwhile, Red Bull's Sergio Perez managed to escape punishment for exceeding track limits due to a flaw in the inspection process, according to an Auto Motor und Sport report.

Turn 6, a critical section of the Circuit of the Americas, became the focal point of controversy as footage emerged post-race.

The visuals revealed Perez consistently straying beyond the defined white lines, with instances where his car veered as much as 20 centimeters off track. This drew the attention of fans and fellow competitors, sparking a wave of social media scrutiny.

However, the lack of clear-cut angles from onboard footage made policing track limits at Turn 6 a challenging task. To address this, track officials typically rely on electronic loops and CCTV footage to supplement their assessments.

In this instance, it appears that the electronic systems were not fully deployed, leaving room for interpretation and raising questions about the effectiveness of the monitoring process.

---

Charles Leclerc expresses frustrations over Sergio Perez's violation, Lando Norris admits exceeding track limits

Notably, this oversight extended beyond Perez, affecting several drivers who similarly navigated Turn 6 without facing consequences.

McLaren's Lando Norris admitted that the unregulated nature of the turn prompted him to exceed track limits, as he was aware of the prevailing leniency.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc echoed similar sentiments, voicing concerns about the policing at Turn 6 and advocating for a resolution in the upcoming season.

While Leclerc refrained from directly naming Sergio Perez, his comments strongly suggested that he harbored reservations about the Red Bull driver's recurrent violations at the contentious turn. Speaking to The Race, Leclerc said:

"We really need to look into that to find a solution because I don’t think it’s a good look in general to have these kinds of things."

As the season progresses, it remains to be seen if the F1 authorities will address this incident and implement measures to prevent similar oversights in the future.

Sergio Perez, meanwhile, will now be focused on his home race at the Mexican Grand Prix. The race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez could prove to be vital for the 33-year-old and his future with Red Bull Racing.