Cadillac and Sergio Perez were left heartbroken after the Monaco Grand Prix when a post-race stewards' decision stripped the Mexican of a hard-earned top-10 finish, denying the team what would have been its first Formula 1 championship point.
Against the odds, Sergio Perez had battled through a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix to finish 10th on the road. But a post-race investigation into the Cadillac driver’s position on the grid for the final restart resulted in a 10-second penalty, dropping the Mexican from the points and leaving his team with nothing to show for one of its most promising afternoons yet.
It was a crushing conclusion to a race that had appeared to signal a major milestone for the fledgling outfit.
A recovery drive that counted for nothing
Perez's race had already been complicated from the outset. An early drive-through penalty for lining up in Gabriel Bortoleto's empty grid slot left him facing an uphill battle around a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Yet as incidents, penalties and retirements unfolded ahead, Perez quietly climbed back into contention. By the chequered flag, he had secured 10th place on merit.
The drama was not over, however.
Following the red-flag stoppage caused by deteriorating track conditions at Antony Noghes, Perez came under scrutiny for allegedly being out of position at the standing restart.
After meeting with officials, he acknowledged the evidence was not entirely straightforward.
“We just came down, we looked at different angles,” Perez said after being summoned by the stewards.
“It's hard to prove from one angle. When you look from one angle it's clear, but then from another it isn't that clear. So I think they were just checking to take a decision, and we'll see.
“Regardless of that, we got P10 on track, we had no benefit of that. I actually had a very poor start, but the lap one at the restart was incredible. It made us come back and that was really what matters.”
Even then, Perez remained hopeful that the outcome would fall in his favour.
“From my side, I am optimistic from what I've seen, but at the end it's down to the stewards, so we'll wait and see.”
Stewards deliver the decisive blow
Unfortunately, Perez's optimism proved misplaced. After reviewing the available evidence, race officials concluded that Perez had not been correctly positioned in his grid box.
“The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 11 (Sergio Perez), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video and in-car video evidence,” the stewards’ report read.
“Video evidence showed clearly that the front right wheel of Car 11 was outside the starting box. The standard penalty is applied.”
The sanction immediately stripped Perez of the result that would have delivered Cadillac's first point in Formula 1.
Instead, Fernando Alonso inherited 10th position, handing Aston Martin its first point of the season and allowing the Silverstone-based team to move ahead of Cadillac in the Constructors' standings.
To make matters worse, Perez also received a reprimand for failing to follow race director instructions regarding practice starts.
“The driver admitted that he had made a practice start in the wrong position,” the stewards wrote.
Pride amid the disappointment
The final classification may show zero points, but Perez refused to allow the decision to overshadow the progress Cadillac has made in a remarkably short period.
Asked whether he could have imagined fighting for points so early after joining the project, the veteran's answer reflected both surprise and determination.
“No, not even in the best dreams. To make it on our sixth race and be on the points is something tremendous,” he said.
2026 Monaco Grand Prix - Race results“So, like I said, regardless of that, a millimetre in or out, whatever they decide, I think it doesn't change the fact that we got it on track by not giving up and by giving our best. And the rest will come. I'm confident about it.”
That confidence may offer some consolation. But for Cadillac, Monaco will still feel like a painful missed opportunity.
After surviving the chaos, recovering from penalties and crossing the finish line in the points, the team's historic breakthrough ultimately disappeared not on the streets of Monte Carlo, but in the stewards' room.
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