Sergio Pérez’s weekend in Madrid started unusually. The Cadillac driver received two fines in just 13 minutes for speeding in the pit lane.
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Sergio Pérez only needed a few minutes to cost Cadillac 1,700 euros during the first free practice sessions of the Spanish Grand Prix. For the debut of the new Madring, the Mexican was caught twice speeding in the pit lane, all within just 13 minutes.
A rather eventful start for Pérez and Cadillac on this new 22-turn circuit set up in the IFEMA district of Madrid. The driver committed his first infraction just as the session had barely started, before repeating it a few minutes later with a much greater speed limit violation.
First speeding offense after only three minutes
The one-hour session had only been underway for three minutes when Pérez was caught exceeding the regulatory limit of 80 km/h imposed in the pit lane.
The Cadillac driver was precisely traveling at 86.7 km/h, 6.7 km/h above the allowed speed. This first infraction resulted in a 700-euro fine for his team.
A relatively minor mistake that could have remained anecdotal in a session entirely dedicated to discovering a new circuit. But Pérez did not stop there.
Pérez repeats the offense 13 minutes later
Only 13 minutes after his first infraction, the Mexican was again caught speeding in the pit lane. This time, the difference was much greater as he was recorded at 96.7 km/h.
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Pérez was therefore exceeding the limit by 16.7 km/h, which led to a new financial penalty of 1,000 euros for Cadillac. Within a few minutes, the total fines imposed on the American team reached 1,700 euros.
However, these two infractions do not result in any direct sporting consequences for Pérez. Since the penalties are financial, they do not compromise his session or the rest of his weekend at the Madring.
Costly beginnings for Cadillac in Madrid
The amount remains obviously negligible in the scale of a Formula 1 team’s budget, but the succession of the two infractions offers a rather unusual first anecdote for Cadillac on the new Spanish track.
It comes especially as drivers already have to manage a considerable amount of information during these first laps. The Madring is completely new to the calendar and the first free practice sessions represent the first real opportunity to discover its 22 turns, delicate braking points, and numerous walls from the cockpit.
For Pérez, it will now be necessary to avoid a third infraction and above all focus on the essentials: gradually getting accustomed to a circuit that several drivers have already described as particularly demanding.
With two speeding offenses in just 13 minutes, at 86.7 then 96.7 km/h for a limit set at 80 km/h, Pérez has already cost Cadillac 1,700 euros before the Madrid weekend has truly begun. An entry that the American team would have gladly done without.
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