IMAGO / HochZwei
An ill-fated Sergio Perez received a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish GP during last weekend’s race in Montreal. Staying on the track with a damaged car led to the stewards punishing Perez, and Helmut Marko, in response, recalled the 2020 British GP where Lewis Hamilton crossed the finish line on three tires. Marko’s comments didn’t sit too well with Hamilton’s compatriot Damon Hill, who was at his sarcastic best on social media.
Speaking to Planet F1, Marko stated that Perez’s penalty was not justified because no action was taken against Hamilton four years ago. “I remember Lewis Hamilton once crossing the finish line on three wheels at Silverstone and winning. Strange there was no penalty then.” the Austrian said.
Bemused by his comments, 1996 World Champion Hill (said on X),
“He’s [Marko] a little ray of sunshine.”
Marko also revealed that Perez drove back to the pits at the 2024 Canadian GP, following a crash, because Red Bull felt that the car was okay to drive. Parts falling out of the Mexican’s RB20 wasn’t something Red Bull saw coming. But the ‘injured’ car spilling debris prompted the race stewards to take strict action.
In addition to Perez’s three-place grid drop, Red Bull also had to dish out a $27,000 fine.
In contrast, Hamilton driving an ‘injured’ car home to victory in Silverstone 2020 was seen as an iconic win. Hill deemed it necessary to defend the seven-time World Champion, but Marko isn’t someone who lets things go.
The Lewis Hamilton incident that Helmut Marko recalled
The 2020 British GP was on course to have a rather underwhelming finish, with Hamilton cruising towards a comfortable victory. However, a tire puncture in the closing stages made things much more exciting. The Stevenage-born driver had a big lead on the last lap, but one of his tires had gone by then.
Verstappen chased him for the win and almost cut the 32-second gap to the Briton. Still, Hamilton limped to the finish line in P1.
Notably, Hamilton didn’t suffer any penalty because there was no threat to other cars because of his ailment, which Marko didn’t bring up. But, the 81-year-old is upset about Perez getting a penalty for something he feels is similar.
In the Red Bull driver’s case, debris from his car could have adversely affected others on the track.
