Sergio Perez saw himself at the receiving end of yet another unfortunate incident at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday. The Mexican driver received a 5-second penalty for exceeding the pitlane speed limits in a rain-soaked race. This penalty led to Perez losing out on a podium place, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finishing on the podium for the first time this season. According to F1 TV’s Sam Collins, Perez exceeded the speed limit by only half a mile- something he could not have avoided.

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During the back end of the race, which saw a downpour of rain, Perez entered the pitlane with his car, not in complete control, and brushed against the wall upon entry. Collins says this incident led to the penalty, and there was no way Perez could have slowed down his car even more.

There was nothing Sergio Perez could have done about his penalty

During the post-race analysis on F1 TV, Collins did a detailed analysis of the penalty incurred on Perez during a race riddled with yellow and red flags. The analyst pointed out how the margin between Perez’s speed and the speed limit was only half a mile per hour after he hit the wall. He also called the decision to bring Perez in for a tire change unnecessary.

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“And that little contact with the wall was all-important. Because it put the Mexican driver off his stride ever so slightly, and he didn’t brake and slow the car down quite enough.”

The race was never going to be easy for Perez, who had to start from the middle of the grid after another underwhelming qualifying session on Saturday. After a difficult start, the wet-dry-wet conditions further troubled the Guadalajara-born driver, who was often seen struggling for grip.

Yet another contrasting day at the office for the Red Bull drivers

Throughout the race on Sunday, Perez looked unsettled while driving the RB19 in Zandvoort. He struggled to find grip consistently while also facing a dual lock-up when sporting the intermediates. The incident led to him going briefly off track, giving way to Alonso to take up P2. Meanwhile, the championship leader had a much better day at his home race.

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Max Verstappen continued his impressive driving in Zandvoort as he equality Vettel’s record for most F1 wins in a row. The Dutchman, owing to a pitstop, saw himself thirteen seconds behind race leader Sergio Perez. The lead ended up being inconsequential as Verstappen quickly ate up the seconds and saw himself a mere three seconds behind Perez by the time the next lap began.

In the end, it was another exhilarating display of flawless driving by the 25-year-old, who took another step towards his third consecutive world title.