The FIA is implementing a new rule ahead of the 2025 season. This adjustment by the FIA can be traced back to the controversy surrounding Sergio Pérez during the Canadian Grand Prix. The Mexican driver returned to the pit lane with a damaged RB20 after a crash, resulting in debris on the track.
The FIA has made a significant number of changes to the sporting regulations ahead of the 2025 season. However, the FIA is not finished with the adjustments and is also revising article 26.10. With this, the governing body hopes to prevent a similar controversy as occurred with Sergio Pérez during the recent Canadian Grand Prix.”The Mexican driver, after a crash at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, drove his damaged vehicle back to the Red Bull garage. Pérez ultimately completed half a lap with damage to the rear of his RB20. This resulted in several pieces of debris on the track. Red Bull hoped to avoid a safety car with this action, as Max Verstappen was leading at the time. The Dutchman eventually won the Canadian race, thus extending his lead in the championship. Pérez received a three-place grid penalty for the next race following the incident.
Rule Tightening
The FIA hopes to prevent similar actions in the future by tightening Article 26.10. The new rule empowers Race Director Rui Marques to intervene earlier. “Any driver whose car has sustained significant and clear damage, putting it in a state that poses a direct danger to the driver himself or others, must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so,” reads the new rule. “At the discretion of the Race Director, if a car has significant and clear damage, the participant may be instructed to leave the track immediately as soon as it is safe to do so.”
