Quote:
Originally Posted by Noah930
I turned on the TV right after the fireworks, but why did Perez come back out for 2 token laps before officially retiring his car? He wanted to make a pit stop and serve a 5-second penalty? What difference did that make?
|
The announcers said the rule book says if you can't serve the 5 second penalty because of a retirement, they give you a grid penalty at the next race. So he went out, did a lap and was called into the pits for a pit stop, and they did the 5 second penalty, on a race where it made zero difference, and no grid penalty next race.
I have been watching F1 for 30 years, and that is the first time I remember any car that was pulled into the garage go back out to do laps. It was never officially "retired" until the penalty was served. After that, yep, officially retired.
They even waited on sending him out until Max came in for his last pit stop. Then the pit for Perez was a nice slow pit stop after the penalty was served. Back in the garage.
They really knew the rule book. Back in the glory days of Porsche winning at endurance races they read the rules carefully, and found many 100% legal loop holes that allowed them an edge. Just follow the rule book and be legal. Much like the USA tax laws that are insane complex. Tax avoidance with legitimate deductions is 100% legal, tax evasion is where you can go to jail.