Perez handed grid drop for yellow flag offences

Sergio Perez has been handed a combined eight-place grid drop for Sunday's race in Singapore after being found guilty of two infractions under waved double-yellows in qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The Mexican was one of several drivers to start their final Q2 runs just as Haas's Romain Grosjean hit the wall at Turn 10, triggering the yellows to fly.

While that caused many to abandon their laps, Perez was still able to improve his time, allowing him to progress into Q3 and eventually seal a provisional 10th on the grid.

Stewards announced the Force India driver's lap would be investigated almost immediately however, and while Perez was confident in his actions, they found he had not slowed sufficiently despite having ample warning, earning a five-place penalty.

In addition, they also found he had wrongly overtaken another car - Esteban Gutierrez's Haas - while still under yellows, resulting in an additional three-place drop.

"The driver of car 11 failed to reduce his speed significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop as required under Art2.4.5.1(b) when double yellow flags were being waved at both Turns 9 and 10," a statement from the stewards read.

"The Stewards took into consideration the fact that the driver had two corners in which to slow down significantly and failed to do so and both of which were blind corners (including one where the accident had taken place and where the damaged car was still in the barriers) and where the driver would not have known if the track had a hazard wholly or partly blocking the track and/or marshals working on or beside the track."

Williams' Valtteri Bottas is therefore set to inherit 10th on the grid, with Perez dropping down to 18th.

On top of his grid penalties, the Mexican was handed three penalty points on his licence - his first of the season.