Anyone would be pretty unhappy if they were caught speeding 0.1kmh over the speed limit.
Formula 1 drivers are no different.
Monaco’s pit lane is one of the tightest in space on the calendar. Mark Sutton
Five drivers were handed five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane at the Monaco Grand Prix – but they were all adamant they didn’t speed. So who’s lying?
Well, maybe nobody. Instead, it seems the timing culprit is the specific method F1 uses to collect speed data, a system that tripped up the grid at the principality.
Instead of checking straight speed in the pit lane, Formula 1 uses electronic timing loops to check a drivers’ average speed over the entire time they drive through the pit lane. This is measured by FIA transponders.
For the 2026 season, the pit lane speed limit is set at 80kph. However, at select races, in the interests of safety, this limit is reduced to 60kph.
That 60kph speed limit applies to Monaco, due to the extremely tight nature of the pit lane, accentuated by the presence of the new 11th Cadillac garage. Five of the six in-race penalties were handed out for a measured speed of 60.1kph.
In the majority of pit lanes visited throughout the year, the timing lines are parallel to the start/finish line. Drivers enter and exit in a perfectly straight line, only turning to pull into their respective pit boxes.
Monaco, however, is a different beast.
Drivers turn right before the final corner, turn the car left shortly after the pit entry line and must navigate another slight left-hand turn before hitting the pit exit.
Consequently, too much of an aggressive cut at the start or end of the pit lane and drivers will shorten the time taken to pass between the timing loops.
The system will then determine that they have broken the speed limit.
That’s what happened to Oscar Piastri, fans spotted the Aussie’s pit lane lights on his steering wheel turning on prematurely.
Second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton called out the system issue, saying he was “shocked” to hear of his speeding penalty, as he’d been taking the same racing line for his entire F1 career.
“Yeah, I wasn’t speeding. I think it’s just the way the pit lane is. I’ve done this pit lane for years. It’s not like I came in and didn’t press the button or something like that. Pit lane limiter is on immediately,” the Ferrari driver said in the post-race press conference.
“I think it’s just the line that you take, which is the same line we’ve all taken for years where you come in, you kind of cut part of the white line, head down, went out. And I was shocked to hear that I was speeding because I wasn’t actually above the speed.
“I think it’s the distance and something that we really need to look into because I heard lots of people got that today and they probably weren’t really speeding.”
Alpine went even further, appealing the penalty handed to their driver Pierre Gasly, as the Frenchman was robbed of a podium in Monaco.
Gasly was livid at the FIA’s decision to hand him a double pit lane penalty for two instances of speeding – both under 1kmh over the limit – calling it an “unfair” reason.
“I don’t think there’s anything that would hurt me more right now,” Gasly said to media after the race.
Pierre Gasly was robbed of a podium due to his speeding penalties. Jayce Illman
“It’s 10 years of f—ing working my ass off for this type of moments, and we did everything right today.
“Standing on that podium, in front of all the fans that turn up, and this is the type of moment that for me can be taken away from us by unfair reasons.
“What’s going on right now is not right. Hopefully they can make the right calls.”