The FIA is Formula 1's governing body
Cadillac driver Sergio Perez has been handed a 30-place grid penalty by the FIA stewards at the Brazilian Grand Prix for exceeding his engine component pool for the F1 2026 season.
Perez becomes the second driver to be hit with a 30-place grid penalty at Interlagos, with former Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen also set to start from the back of the grid.
FIA confirms Sergio Perez grid penalty for Brazilian Grand Prix
Perez was classified 20th in Saturday’s final practice session in Brazil as Verstappen set the pace.
Ahead of qualifying, the stewards have confirmed that Perez will start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field following an engine change on his Cadillac MAC-26.
Perez has taken a fifth internal combustion engine, a fifth turbocharger and a fourth MGU-K of the F1 2026 season.
The three changes add up to a grid drop of 30 places.
However, a change to the rules over recent years means that drivers who accumulate a grid penalty of more than 15 positions must automatically start from the back of the grid.
Sergio Perez vs Valtteri Bottas: Cadillac head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season
Verstappen has also triggered a 30-place grid drop in Brazil by taking a fifth internal combustion engine, fifth turbocharger and fifth exhaust.
Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will also take a 10-place grid penalty after moving on to a fifth ICE, with Mercedes driver George Russell dropping five places after taking a sixth ICE.
Perez has impressed upon his return to Formula 1 with Cadillac, signing a new contract until the end of 2029 ahead of his home race in Mexico last weekend.
More on Sergio Perez and Cadillac from PlanetF1.com
The American team is yet to finalise its driver lineup for the F1 2026 season amid suggestions that Valtteri Bottas could be replaced.
PlanetF1.com reported over the United States Grand Prix weekend that Colton Herta, the former IndyCar driver currently competing in Formula 2, could replace Bottas, with Mercedes reserve Fred Vesti also thought to be a contender.
Herta, who joined Cadillac as a test driver ahead of the F1 2026 campaign with a view to a potential future F1 promotion, deputised for Perez in Friday’s FP1 session in Brazil.
The American lapped 0.904 seconds slower than Bottas but managed to secure enough points for an F1 super licence, which allows drivers to race in Formula 1.
Bottas said in Mexico last weekend that his future is likely to be decided in an upcoming Cadillac board meeting in the United States.
