Cadillac Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez has been given a 10-second penalty in the Monaco Grand Prix results, collapsing from a point-paying 10th position to last of the finishers.
Perez finished 10th on the road in an eventful race in the principality, making the most of the incidents that occurred around him – despite an early drive-through penalty for lining up in Gabriel Bortoleto’s empty grid spot, two places ahead of his own.
The Mexican veteran pitted early and gradually made his way up the order as chaos unfolded ahead of him – including many speeding penalties, a drive-through for George Russell, and a late collision involving Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg.
However, Perez ended up under investigation for being out of position at the second start, after the race was red-flagged due to the track surface deteriorating at Antony Noghes corner, where both Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc crashed.
“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.”
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Andrea Diodato / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Asked if he was optimistic about the decision, the Cadillac driver replied: “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.”
The stewards disagreed and gave him a 10-second penalty.
“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.”
As a consequence, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is inheriting 10th place, meaning Lawrence Stroll’s outfit has scored its first point of the season and is finally overtaking Cadillac in the constructors’ championship.
Perez’s woes are compounded by a third sanction of the day – a reprimand for failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding practice starts.
“The driver admitted that he had made a practice start in the wrong position,” the stewards wrote.
Regardless, when asked if he would have expected such a scenario when he signed with Cadillac, Perez made a point of being upbeat: “No, not even in the best dreams. To make it on our sixth race and be on the points is something tremendous.
“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.”
Photos from Monaco GP – Sunday
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