Nikita Mazepin, Haas, Monza, 2021

Perez, Mazepin, Ocon and Giovinazzi collect one penalty point each for incidents

2021 Italian Grand Prix

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Four drivers collected penalty points on their licences, all for incidents which occurred at the Variante della Roggia in the Italian Grand Prix.

Antonio Giovinazzi was the first of them. He was held responsible for his first-lap collision with Carlos Sainz Jnr which tipped the Alfa Romeo driver into a spin.

The stewards ruled that Giovinazzi rejoined the track unsafely after going off in the Roggia chicane on the first lap of the race. He was then knocked into a spin by Sainz.

“The driver locked his brakes entering turn four and cut behind the apex of the corner,” the stewards noted. “When re-joining he moved fully across to the left making contact with car 55 [Sainz]. The stewards considered this re-joining unsafely.”

Esteban Ocon was found to have failed to left sufficient room for Sebastian Vettel when the pair were battling at the same corner later in the race. The stewards ruled that “having earlier defended his position off line, the driver of car 31 [Ocon] failed to leave a car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner (as is required in the regulation) and caused the collision with car five [Vettel].”

A third incident at the same corner involving the two Haas drivers resulted in a penalty for Nikita Mazepin. He was found to have caused a collision with Mick Schumacher and was “predominantly at fault”.

Sergio Perez was also penalised after the stewards deemed he cut the corner while overtaking Charles Leclerc. “Car 11 [Perez] turned behind the kerb at turn five and completed the pass by doing so and gained a lasting advantage.”

All four drivers were given five-second time penalties and one penalty points on their licences. It was Ocon’s first point in the current 12-month period, Giovinazzi is now on a total of three, Mazepin six and Perez seven.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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16 comments on “Perez, Mazepin, Ocon and Giovinazzi collect one penalty point each for incidents”

  1. Not sure I’d penalise Ocon and Giovinazzi. In the former’s case – and I haven’t double checked both incidents -, seemed like LEC-HAM incident a few years back, pinched with some rubber touch. I didn’t really find it that dangerous, it simply can happen when over the edge like that.

    As for the latter, I think SAI was a bit naive as HAM in Canada in 2019. The driver lost it, kept some speed and immediately tried to cover himself back to the racing line. It was a slight touch that spun GIO, but just a racing incident to me.

    Btw, a shame for Giovinazzi, he was in a nice form this weekend.

    1. I would actually agree with what Massa said in the F1TV aftershow @niefer, that accident was the most dangerous of them all and should really be getting a closer look from the FIA.

      The others were probably allright getting a point on their licence, just to remind them to think a bit more before they do stuff. I agree that Giovanazzi was largely unlucky, probably let himself get carried away a bit with the good run he has had this weekend up to then. Shame really, he was going really well.

  2. The LEC-PER one, Leclerc should’ve left more space. Yes, Perez still overtook off-track, etc., but I don’t quite like this forcing off track and subsequently forcing to either let by or take a penalty thing.

    1. RandomMallard (@)
      12th September 2021, 17:05

      @jerejj I also think the penalty point is a bit harsh. I feel that penalty points should only be awarded for something that is dangerous, and clearly one person’s fault. Perez may have gained an unfair advantage, but I don’t think that should result in a penalty point

    2. Why did they not penalise Norris for his off road pass that could have resulted in absolute mayhem. Favoritism.

      1. @Karl Diaz What off road pass? He never overtook anyone off track.

    3. I don’t think Leclerc squeezed him out (at least not to the extent we normally see). Perez needs to be smarter when it comes to recognizing when he passes outside of track limits. I mean this happens all the time with him (this was the second time this weekend alone). He should have given it back and pass him a lap or two later, I mean it’s Ferrari after-all. He can’t rely on the team to tell him what to do every time, he needs to recognize these things and just do it. He knows the rules, it doesn’t get more obvious than that. Other drivers don’t have a problem recognizing it and immediately respond by giving the position back. Leclerc did pretty much the same thing on Bottas in the first chicane.

      1. I don’t think 5 seconds is enough in this case. If a driver refuses to give the place back then they should be given a much bigger penalty. Perez gained by not giving the place back in my mind.

        1. I see your point and generally agree. I don’t think, however, the 5 seconds wasn’t enough in this instance. I think the 5 seconds hurt Perez more just for the simple fact he finished behind Leclerc (and almost Sainz). If Perez gave the position back, he likely would have gotten the 3rd spot or at worst 4th.

    4. I do agree, the penalty point on his license is completely stupid! That is not deserving of that!

  3. with each passing race Mazepin vs Schumacher remind me more and more of Grosjean vs Magnussen…

    1. Mazepin is a complete menace and shows he doesn’t belong to be in F1!

      1. I agree. Mazapin need to be ejected asap. He is a liability. He always has been along with his disgusting father.

    2. On Belgian TV the guest commentator more or less called Steiner incompetent. It’s his job to keep tensions in check in his team and he has been unable to do that ever since this team exists.

    3. Not even close. At least those two actually had some driving skill.

      It’s been years since I’ve seen anyone with as much incompetence as Mazepin – it truly is time his superlicence was revoked.

      Schumacher as well has hardly covered himself in glory either.

      I realise that the Haas car is a dog and almost undriveable but these two are not helping. I’m wondering actually if they’ll have enough parts to compete the season.

  4. Is there any news regarding Stroll investigation?

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