Red Bull’s Perez given three-place grid penalty, starts sixth in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia — Red Bull driver Sergio Perez moved from third to sixth on the Australian Grand Prix grid after being penalized for impeding Nico Hulkenberg during qualifying.

Hülkenberg encountered the slow Red Bull of Pérez in Turn 13 during one of his hot laps in the opening session of qualifying and failed to advance to Q2.

Perez qualified for Q3 and set the third fastest time, 0.359 seconds behind teammate Max Verstappen in pole position.

The loss of three places on the grid will see Lando Norris move to third on the grid, Charles Leclerc to fourth and Oscar Piastri starting fifth.

Australian Grand Prix stewards said Pérez's Red Bull team did not adequately warn him of Hülkenberg's presence on the track behind him.

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“Hülkenberg was doing a fast lap approaching turn 13,” the stewards said. “Pérez, who was lapping, was at the apex of the corner and Hülkenberg had to leave the racing line to go around him. Hülkenberg was forced to lift the throttle early and brake early for this corner.

“In reviewing the audio from Perez's car, the stewards observed that the team was focused on the car in front of Perez which had just slowed down, and only warned Perez that Hülkenberg was behind him a second before the arrival of Hülkenberg, and much too late to avoid bothering Hülkenberg.

“While the stewards appreciate the dynamic situation faced by the team and driver during the Q1 session, which was described during the hearing, the stewards believe that Pérez 'unnecessarily hampered' Hülkenberg and grant a loss of three places on the grid, in accordance with previous cases.”