F1 Announces Punishment for Sergio Perez at Monaco GP
Sergio Perez has been handed a drive-through penalty during the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix after the stewards ruled he was out of position at the start of the race.
The penalty was confirmed during the Formula 1 live broadcast on lap 11 of 78, with Perez coming into the pits to serve it immediately. A drive-through penalty requires the driver to pass through the pit lane without stopping, costing valuable time and track position at one of the calendar's most unforgiving circuits for overtaking.
Being out of position at the start is one of the more unusual infractions in Formula 1. Drivers are required to line up precisely within their designated grid box before the lights go out, and any deviation can result in a penalty. The stewards wasted little time in confirming the punishment for the Cadillac driver.
A Chaotic Monaco GP for Cadillac and Max Verstappen
Monaco offers virtually no opportunity for overtaking, with most position changes happening exclusively in the pit lane. For Perez, who has struggled for consistency through the early part of the 2026 season, the timing could not be worse.
The race has already claimed two high-profile casualties. Max Verstappen was the first to retire, with his frustration immediately evident over team radio. "Yep, nice, completely [expletive], guys. What the [expletive] man?!" he said after his race came to an end.
"We need to cool the car and box this lap"
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 7, 2026
Valtteri Bottas becomes the second DNF from this race #F1#MonacoGP | LAP 18/78 pic.twitter.com/Pe19zqBZcG
Valtteri Bottas then became the second DNF of the race on lap 18, with his Cadillac team calling him in after reporting a cooling issue. "We need to cool the car and box this lap," the team told him over the radio before the retirement was confirmed.
At lap 22 of 78, Kimi Antonelli continues to lead the race for Mercedes, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton 6.0 seconds behind in second and Charles Leclerc a further 0.1 seconds back in third. There is a battle developing for fourth, with Isack Hadjar holding the position just 0.573 seconds ahead of George Russell. Perez, meanwhile, sits in P18, still recovering from his drive-through penalty.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 6:48 AM.