FIA to review Sergio Perez's post-Canadian GP penalty

The Mexican has been given a five-place grid penalty for this weekend's race in Austria after being blamed for causing an accident with Felipe Massa on the final lap of the Canadian Grand Prix.

AUTOSPORT has learned that Force India wrote to the FIA after the race to say that it had new evidence to offer on the incident, which is believed to relate to that fact the Canadian stewards did not speak to Perez after the crash as he was still in hospital.

Under article 13.10 of the FIA International Sporting Code, teams can ask for the right of review if a 'new element' is discovered.

The rule states: "If, in Competitions forming part of an FIA Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series, a new element is discovered, whether or not the stewards have already given a ruling, these stewards or, failing this, those designated by the FIA, must meet on a date agreed amongst themselves, summoning the party or parties concerned to hear any relevant explanations and to judge in the light of the facts and elements brought before them."

The FIA has received notification from Force India that it believes Perez's evidence to be a 'new element'.

With it being impossible to convene the Canadian GP stewards before this weekend, the FIA has given the stewards at the Austrian GP the right to look into the matter.

A hearing will take place at 9am on Friday morning with representatives of Force India and the FIA to decide if a 'new element' does actually exist.

Should the stewards decide that it is the case, then a further stewards hearing will take place at 4pm, with both Force India and Williams to look at the matter once again.

Force India will be hoping that it can convince the stewards that Perez was not entirely to blame for the crash, so will have his punishment removed.