F1 Announces Double Punishment for Cadillac After Barcelona-Catalunya GP Practice

Cadillac Formula 1 team endured a frustrating end to Friday's running at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were found to have exceeded the 80 km/h pit lane speed limit during Free Practice 2.

According to official stewards' documents issued on June 12, Bottas was the first to fall foul of the limit, clocking 80.5 km/h, just 0.5 km/h over the threshold. Despite the marginal breach, Cadillac was still handed a €100 fine for the infringement.

Meanwhile, Perez's violation was considerably more pronounced. The Mexican was clocked at 84.4 km/h, exceeding the limit by 4.4 km/h, and the stewards responded with a significantly steeper fine of €500.

Fernando Alonso Also in the Stewards' Books

Cadillac was not the only team to attract the stewards' attention on Friday. Fernando Alonso was issued a warning after his Aston Martin was found to have crossed the white line at the pit exit during FP2, with video evidence confirming the outside edge of his left front wheel had breached the line.

While Alonso escaped without a financial penalty, the incident serves as a reminder of just how closely driver behavior in the pit lane is monitored throughout a grand prix weekend.

For Cadillac, the double punishment adds an unwanted footnote to what is already a challenging debut season in Formula 1. With both drivers now under scrutiny heading into the remainder of the Barcelona weekend, the team will be keen to put Friday's costly errors firmly behind them.

Cadillac Not Alone as Pit Lane Speeding Haunts F1

Last weekend, multiple drivers were hit with penalties for pit lane speeding in Monaco, including Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with the controversy even costing Pierre Gasly his P3 finish. Unlike others, Alpine refused to let the matter rest and exercised its Right of Review. The gamble paid off, with Gasly's podium finish reinstated, a decision that dealt a blow to Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who had been classified P3 in the Frenchman's place.

Since then, other teams have been looking to secure a similar outcome. According to Nate Saunders of ESPN, McLaren and Red Bull have reportedly also told the FIA of their intention to appeal. However, the most prominent remains Mercedes, which is looking to regain points for Russell following his double punishment in Monaco. Team principal Toto Wolff made clear on Friday that the Silver Arrows are actively exploring their options.

"It was a very unfortunate situation, and clearly we can all learn from that," Wolff said. "Without the penalty, without us not serving it correctly, it would have been a totally different outcome for his race. A different outcome would have had an impact on his championship situation. That's why it's unfortunate. Now we are assessing, as we speak, what the Gasly situation does for George."

"We would like the FIA to look at what are the remedies... I think we have some timing limitations, legal constraints, but definitely we have a reason to be annoyed. I wish we could have had this conversation before the race on Sunday. We were just on the phone with our lawyers to see what we can do for George," the Mercedes team principal added.

Whether Mercedes succeeds in their push for a review remains to be seen, but the Gasly precedent has clearly opened a door that several teams are now eager to walk through. For Cadillac, the fines from Barcelona are unlikely to spark the same kind of legal battle. However, Friday's double infringement is yet another reminder that in Formula 1, the margins that matter are not always found on the race track.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 1:29 AM.