Checo Perez has not had a bad start but he is far behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Perez has managed to get 2 second places in the first places.

However, the Mexican driver does not perform as well against Ferrari, who are currently in second place and cannot afford to drop many points. Given the capabilities of his car, he is expected to finish as the runner-up.

During the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, a five-second penalty was imposed on him for a 'unsafe release'. This occurred when he disregarded the red light at his pit stop and exited, causing Fernando Alonso to brake abruptly. He successfully distanced himself from Charles Leclerc, and although the incident didn't impact the race results, the FIA has decided to issue an additional penalty point on his superlicence. He currently has eight points and with 12, he would miss one F1 Grand Prix.

Checo cannot risk receiving two more penalties, as they could potentially lead to him missing a race. These superlicence points cover the past twelve months and Perez needs to be cautious, as the initial penalty points will not expire until September 17.

Checo At Risk

During the Singapore Grand Prix in 2023, the collision between the Mexican driver and Alexander Albon resulted in a deduction of a point.

Japan was a tough race for Checo, as he received two penalties from the FIA. One was for colliding with Kevin Magnussen and the other for overtaking the Safety Car, resulting in a loss of four points.

During the final race of 2023, he had a collision with Lando Norris, resulting in a loss of two points. Additionally, he received the last penalty for an unsafe release in Jeddah.

Singapore GP 2023 (1 Point)

Japan GP 2023 (4 Points)

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 (2 Points)

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024 (1 Point)

Checo Perez could potentially become the first Formula 1 driver to miss a Grand Prix if he accumulates these four penalty points along with his existing 12 before mid-September.

Pierre Gasly came close to missing a race in 2022 when he had only 10 points. It's a common occurrence in Formula 2, with up to four drivers missing a race at times.

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