• Canadian Grand Prix

De la Rosa replaces Perez

Sergio Perez completed 27 laps in FP1 but felt unwell © Sutton Images

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• News:
• De la Rosa first in line
  

• Race:
• Canadian Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Sergio Perez
• |
• Pedro de la Rosa

• Teams:
• Alfa Romeo

Sergio Perez has withdrawn from the Canadian Grand Prix to be replaced by Pedro de la Rosa.

Perez suffered a heavy crash in Monaco two weeks ago that left him with concussion and caused him to miss the race as he was kept in hospital for two nights. He passed all of the FIA medical checks earlier this weekend and was cleared to race, but after completing 27 laps during FP1 he was feeling sick and told the team that he lacked confidence in the car.

"Of course I wanted to drive and I had no doubt I was alright," Perez said. "But apparently this is unfortunately not the case. I am deeply disappointed. I spoke to the team after the session and told them that I'm not a hundred per cent fit. I only want to drive when I'm a hundred per cent well. I need some more time to recover."

His place is taken by Pedro de la Rosa, the McLaren reserve who drove for Sauber last year before being replaced by Nick Heidfeld with five races to go. De la Rosa will take over for FP2 and the rest of the grand prix weekend. Team principal Peter Sauber said it had come as a surprise but that he wasn't willing to take any risks, and thanked McLaren for releasing de la Rosa.

"This development hit us by surprise, because Sergio underwent thorough medical checks, first in the hospital in Monaco, then in a hospital in Zürich, and finally, the FIA doctors gave him the green light this Thursday in Montreal. Nobody could have foreseen that he would feel unwell. Maybe we are being overly cautious, but when it's about the health of our drivers we take zero risks.

"We want to thank Pedro de la Rosa and McLaren for helping us out in this situation."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.