Sergio Perez Escapes Grid Penalty After Impeding Alonso in Montreal

Sergio Perez has been handed a reprimand by the stewards at the Canadian Grand Prix for impeding Fernando Alonso during Q1, but escaped a grid penalty that could have compounded a difficult weekend for the Cadillac driver.

The Mexican qualified 20th at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, just behind the Aston Martin driver, but was called before the officials after blocking the two-time champion heading into the lap-ending chicane.

Why it matters:

A grid penalty would have been a major setback for Perez, who is already under pressure to deliver consistent results. The reprimand, his first of the 2026 season, allows him to start from his qualifying position without further punishment.

The details:

• The stewards reviewed positioning data, video, timing, and in-car footage before reaching their decision.
• Perez argued that he saw Alonso weaving behind him and assumed the Aston Martin was on a cool-down lap, not a push lap.
• The stewards accepted this as a mitigating circumstance, noting that while Perez failed to comply with competition notes, his assumption was reasonable given the context.
• Alonso was actually overtaking another car at the time, which Perez misread as weaving.

What's next:

Perez will start from the back of the grid in Montreal, but without the added penalty that could have made his race even more challenging. The Cadillac team will now focus on damage limitation, hoping to recover points from a difficult qualifying session.