What initially looked like a historic breakthrough for Cadillac quickly turned into disappointment after the Monaco Grand Prix. The American team’s first-ever Formula 1 point lasted only a matter of minutes before a post-race penalty for Sergio Perez dramatically changed the final classification.
The Mexican driver had crossed the finish line in tenth position, seemingly securing Cadillac’s maiden point in Formula 1. However, race officials later handed Perez a 10-second time penalty, dropping him to the back of the field and erasing what would have been an important milestone for the team’s debut campaign.
The sanction reshuffled the lower end of the top ten and ultimately allowed Fernando Alonso to inherit the final points-paying position, giving Aston Martin its first championship point of the season.
Perez’s race unravelled after the chequered flag
Sergio Perez had produced a determined drive around the streets of Monte Carlo, taking advantage of several incidents and penalties that affected rivals throughout a chaotic race.
Among the key moments that helped the Cadillac driver move into the top ten was the incident following the restart involving Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz. The clash resulted in the Williams driver retiring from the race, while the Audi driver received a penalty, opening the door for Perez to climb further up the order.
Ironically, it was the same restart sequence that would ultimately cost Cadillac its first Formula 1 point.
Perez had been placed under investigation for incorrectly positioning his car on the grid before the second standing start, which followed the red-flag interruption caused by severe asphalt deterioration at the final corner. Earlier in the race, both Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc had crashed at the same location, prompting significant concern about the condition of the track surface.
Stewards confirm grid position infringement
After reviewing the evidence, the stewards concluded that Perez had not lined up correctly in his designated grid box.
“The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 11 (Sergio Perez), the team representative, and examined positioning/marshalling system data, video footage and onboard camera evidence,” the official report stated – “The images clearly showed that the front-right wheel of Car 11 was outside the starting box. The standard penalty was therefore applied.”
The decision resulted in a 10-second penalty being added to Perez’s race time, which was enough to drop him from tenth place all the way to the bottom of the final classification.
A difficult day gets even worse
The post-race penalty capped off a frustrating Monaco Grand Prix for Sergio Perez, who had already encountered trouble earlier in the event.
At the start of the race, the Mexican driver received another penalty after incorrectly positioning his car in the grid slot originally assigned to Gabriel Bortoleto, despite the Brazilian driver starting from the pit lane. As if that were not enough, Perez also received a third sanction in the form of an official warning for failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding practice starts.
The stewards explained the situation in their report, noting that the driver had admitted carrying out a practice start in the wrong location: “The driver admitted that he performed a practice start in the incorrect position,” the stewards wrote.
With multiple penalties and warnings accumulated over the course of the weekend, what had briefly appeared to be a memorable result for Cadillac instead became one of the most frustrating races of Sergio Perez’s season.
Fernando Alonso benefits as Aston Martin scores
The biggest beneficiary of the revised results was Fernando Alonso. The Aston Martin veteran inherited tenth place following Perez’s demotion and secured a valuable championship point for the Silverstone-based team.
The result finally puts Aston Martin on the board in the 2026 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship and allows the team to move ahead of Cadillac in the standings. Considering the unusual circumstances that unfolded throughout the Monaco Grand Prix, it was a fittingly dramatic conclusion to one of the most eventful races of the season.
For Cadillac, however, the disappointment will be difficult to ignore. The team came within touching distance of scoring its first Formula 1 point, only to see the achievement disappear after the stewards’ verdict. While there will undoubtedly be more opportunities ahead, Monaco will remain a painful reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in Formula 1.
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