Monaco already gave us seven retirements, a broken track surface, two safety cars and a red flag. But even after the chequered flag, the drama was not over. Sergio Perez, who had fought hard all afternoon to cross the line in 10th place, was stripped of that result after a post race investigation. Cadillac are still waiting for their first point in Formula 1.
What Happened, and Why the Penalty Came
After the red flag restart in the final stages of the race, Perez managed to hold on and finish P10, right on the edge of the points. But FIA stewards did not close the books there.
An investigation was flagged even before the race ended, and after careful review of video footage and telemetric data, the verdict came. The stewards found that Perez his front right wheel was clearly outside the designated starting box at the moment of the red flag restart. The official stewards decision was short and very clear: “Video evidence showed clearly that the front right wheel of Car 11 was outside the starting box. The standard penalty is applied.”
A 10 second time penalty was added to Perez’s final race time. That dropped him from P10 all the way down to P15, making him the very last classified finisher of the day.
A Day Full of Grid Infringements for Checo
What makes this even more painful is that this was not Perez’s first offense of the race. Earlier, at the original race start, Checo received a drive through penalty for pulling into the wrong grid slot, taking the spot that had been vacated by Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who started from the pit lane. That cost him a lot of time and track position early on.
On top of that, Perez was also given a reprimand for making a practice start in the wrong position during his reconnaissance lap to the grid before the race even began.
So in total, three separate grid position violations in one afternoon. The FIA message could not be more clear, these rules are strict, and they will be enforced every single time, even after the race is over.
Cadillac Heartbreak, Alonso Gets Lucky
For Cadillac, this hurts. The American team came into 2026 as a brand new Formula 1 entry, and every single race they have been fighting to score that first point. For a moment today, they had it. Perez crossed the line, the team celebrated, and then came the investigation.
Cadillac even tried to argue in front of the stewards that the car moved due to a soft brake pedal late in the race, but the explanation was not accepted. Points gone.
The driver who benefits is Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard was promoted from P11 to P10 with the Perez penalty, giving Aston Martin their very first point of the 2026 season. Aston Martin has had a terrible start to this year, with both Alonso and Stroll sitting at the very bottom of the standings before today, partly due to major car issues all season long.
With this result, Aston Martin moves ahead of Cadillac in the constructors standings. Which means Cadillac is now the only team in Formula 1 yet to score a single point in 2026.
Strict Rules, No Exceptions
This incident is important beyond just Cadillac and Perez. It shows once again how seriously FIA takes starting grid positions. It does not matter if it is the original race start, a restart after safety car, or a red flag restart. Every wheel must be inside that box. Every single time.
The fact that stewards reviewed video tapes and telemetric data after the race to confirm the infringement shows there is nowhere to hide. If your car is even slightly outside the lines, you will be found out, and you will be penalised.
For Perez, a driver who has already had a difficult season personally and professionally, this is another very hard blow. He drove a smart race today, avoided all the chaos and worked his way up to a points finish. And then lost it at the very end, not because of racing, but because of centimeters on a starting grid.
Final Standings Change
| Position | Driver | Change |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin | Promoted from P11 |
| P15 | Sergio Perez, Cadillac | Dropped from P10 |
Cadillac, still zero points. The wait continues.
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