Sergio Pérez was hit with a post-race penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix, stripping him of his first F1 points.
What happened?
Pérez had finished in 10th place, but an investigation found he lined up out of position in his grid slot, resulting in a 10-second penalty.
The penalty dropped Pérez to 15th place, promoting Fernando Alonso to 10th for Aston Martin. This marked a significant turn of events, as Aston Martin had been struggling to make progress in the championship.
Why it matters for Sergio Pérez
The penalty was a double blow to Cadillac, as it not only lost its first F1 point but also handed 10th place to its main competitor, Aston Martin. Alonso's point could be consequential in the battle to finish 10th if Aston Martin is unable to make significant progress later in the year.
Sergio Pérez had served a drive-through penalty earlier in the contest for parking in the wrong grid slot at the initial start. He was supposed to start 18th but started from 16th, a slot left vacant when Audi's Gabriele Bortoleto started from the pit-lane.
What comes next?
The Monaco Grand Prix was marked by chaos, with Charles Leclerc's late crash leading to a red flag and a restart from the grid with seven laps left. Kimi Antonelli took the victory, his fifth straight win in Monaco.
The penalty marked a race full of infringements for Pérez, who was also reprimanded before the race for making a pre-race practice start from the wrong place. On a day of high drama, Sergio Pérez's mistake proved costly, as he lost his first F1 points to Fernando Alonso.
Cadillac has been struggling to make an impact in its first season, and the loss of its first point will be a significant setback. The team will look to regroup and push forward in the coming races, with Sergio Pérez aiming to bounce back from a difficult day in Monaco.