Sergio Perez had his momentous victory in the Monaco Grand Prix upheld on Sunday after Ferrari‘s protest against his and Max Verstappen’s exits from the pit lane proved unsuccessful.
Both Red Bull drivers appeared to touch the yellow line that separates the exit from the track after the first turn of the Monaco circuit. Perez went on to beat Carlos Sainz to the chequered flag by just over a second, with Verstappen and Charles Leclerc following closely behind.
Romain Grosjean was slapped with a five-second time penalty for crossing the line during the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix but there was no repeat this time as both Red Bull drivers avoided penalties.
“Ferrari have made a protest against Max,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner told reporters after the race. “All the footage we’ve seen we’ve been content with.”
He later added: “It’s disappointing that it’s been protested. We believe the code is clear, he didn’t go over the line he was always in contact with the line. We’ve seen other precedents set with other drivers in the past.
“If it’s anymore than even a reprimand I’d be hugely disappointed in that. I really hope common sense will prevail.”
Max Verstappen did admit that he needed to push the boundaries with his exit from the pits as he battled Leclerc for third position.
The incident left Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto unhappy, and he told Sky Sports: “As Ferrari we are disappointed because we believe that there was a clear breach of the regulations by the two Red Bulls going on the yellow line exiting the pits.
Did Max Verstappen commit a pit exit breach during the Monaco Grand Prix? 💭 pic.twitter.com/3Wc5zrvaOL
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 29, 2022
“I think it was not close, it was on the line. If you look at the regulations and the sporting code, the wording says crossing, but then we had a clarification in Turkey 2020 to avoid any discussions and you look at the race director’s notes it indicates staying to the right.
“Being on the line is breaching the race director’s notes and I think it is the duty of the cars to follow the race director’s notes.
“So I think that is something that is clear and we are still seeking clarification from the FIA, and we are happy to have their feedback as soon as possible.”
