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Sergio Perez came agonisingly close to delivering Cadillac’s first Formula 1 point in Monaco, only for a post-race penalty to turn a potential breakthrough into a bitter final classification.
The Mexican crossed the line 11th and was briefly promoted to P10 after Nico Hulkenberg received a 10-second penalty for colliding with Carlos Sainz. For a team still in its first six races as Formula 1’s first fully new entrant in a decade, that moment looked like a major statement. Instead, the stewards reviewed footage from the red flag restart and ruled that Perez’s front-right wheel had been outside his grid box. A 10-second penalty dropped him to 15th and last.
It was a harsh end to a race that had, for a short time, suggested Cadillac’s progress was beginning to convert into tangible reward.
Cadillac arrived in Monaco still searching for clear evidence that points were genuinely within reach. In Melbourne, Perez was last of the classified finishers and three laps down, while Valtteri Bottas retired with mechanical problems. Both cars finished one lap down in China, before Perez finally reached the lead lap in Suzuka.
Qualifying has remained a limitation. Neither Cadillac has escaped Q1 this season, although Perez’s P18 in Monaco matched his best Saturday result, with a 17th place in Sprint Qualifying in Montreal also underlining gradual improvement.
The wider competitive picture has made the task tougher. Aston Martin have addressed vibration issues and improved reliability, while Williams have moved into the midfield pack. Against that backdrop, Cadillac’s route to points appeared narrow — until Monaco became a race shaped by penalties, retirements and late Safety Car disruption. For more on how the Monte Carlo race unravelled through tiny margins and penalties, see our analysis of the Monaco Grand Prix pit lane speeding penalties.
Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc all failed to finish through a mix of mechanical issues and crashes. Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz were also out, leaving unexpected opportunities for the midfield and lower order.
Perez’s own race had already been compromised by a drive-through penalty for lining up in the wrong grid box at the start, where an empty slot should have followed Gabriel Bortoleto’s pit lane start. After climbing to 14th early on, he pitted for mediums, served the penalty and spent much of the race in 18th.
But as others hit trouble, Perez stayed clean. He avoided the late incidents involving Hulkenberg, Sainz and Colapinto, passed Fernando Alonso, and gained another place when George Russell served a drive-through.
Team Principal Graeme Lowdon summed up the frustration: "After the red flag restart, Checo drove fantastically well to make up several positions on the road – it was a real shame that the penalty dropped us back as he fought like he was going for the win."
The point disappeared, but the performance did not. Perez was only around 1.5 seconds off the lead Q1 time in Monaco, compared with more than three seconds in Australia. For Cadillac, that is the real headline: the first point remains elusive, but the trajectory is unmistakably upward.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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