Perez hits out at “very poor” F1 stewards after penalty for Norris contact

Perez finished second on track but dropped to fourth in the final classification after he was handed a five-second time penalty.

The Mexican was penalised after contact with Lando Norris as he looked to pass the McLaren driver into Turn 6.

While contact was made, Perez didn’t gain a lasting advantage as Norris cut the corner and remained ahead.

Perez ultimately finished second on the road after Charles Leclerc let him through in a bid to aid the Red Bull driver’s chances of beating George Russell - which would have handed Ferrari second in the constructors’.

“So far, it looks like. I don’t know if the one-stop was possible. Something we have to look at and review,” he said. “Other than that, just happy with the whole team. They’ve done a tremendous job. We deserved a lot more today. I think the stewards were very poor today in my opinion. 

“But to me we’ve seen a lot worse. We touched tyre to tyre, Lando cut the corner and gained time, and I still had the penalty.”

Perez defended his move on Norris: “You’ve got to remember when you dive from behind, when you go onto the brakes late, you’re not in full control of the car. Lando knew I was there. He decided to turn in. We made contact tyre-to-tyre like I said. He cut the corner, he gained time. I just feel in my honest opinion it was just a racing incident.”