At a glance: The 17 time penalties handed out during the Monaco E-Prix races

Credit: Ryan Fleming

Formula E’s Monaco E-Prix double-header witnessed an astounding 382 overtakes during the weekend, with Nyck de Vries and Oliver Rowland taking their first victories of Season 12 on the streets of the principality. 

However, the all-electric championship’s annual visit to the principality also brought about plenty of chaos, with several drivers left miffed after having their races ruined. Porsche endured a torrid non-score from Round 9, while several drivers found themselves making multiple appearances at the stewards' office all weekend. 

A total of 17 time penalties were handed out over the course of the double-header, with eight drivers penalised on Saturday, and a further six on Sunday. Three drivers accumulated multiple penalties in a single race, while pole-sitter Dan Ticktum and Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara were the only drivers to receive penalties over the course of both races. 

While this is certainly unprecedented over the course of a Formula E weekend, DIVEBOMB delves into the penalties handed out by the stewards during the Monaco E-Prix weekend. 

Round 9:

Cassidy was one of the big names to be penalised during the race weekend | Credit: Ryan Fleming

Norman Nato was the first driver to receive a penalty from the stewards during the race. Shortly after the lights went out, the Nissan man was given a drive-through penalty for his race tyre pressures falling below the minimum limits set by suppliers Hankook. 

Nick Cassidy would receive a ten-second time penalty following a race-ending collision with Andretti’s Jake Dennis on Lap 3. The incident occurred at the Nouvelle chicane, when Cassidy moved right as he attempted to avoid making contact with Nato’s Nissan ahead, and made contact with the Andretti man, forcing him into the barriers on the entry to the chicane. 

Although Cassidy was able to continue in the race, his counterpart Dennis wouldn’t, as the Andretti remained stranded in the middle of the chicane. The stewards too noted that the Citroën driver was at fault for the incident, for a late change of direction, handing him a 10-second time penalty. 

Despite falling down the order after serving his penalty, Cassidy managed to finish ninth, being elevated into the points after several drivers incurred time penalties later in the race.

Lola Yamaha ABT’s Zane Maloney too suffered a drive-through penalty, after his State of Charge (SoC) was found to be higher than the maximum value of 60% at the time of his Pit Boost stop on Lap 16. Maloney would eventually drop lower down the order, before finishing 13th at the flag after serving his time penalty. 

Cassidy’s teammate Jean-Éric Vergne received a five-second time penalty for making contact with Nico Müller at the final corner on the circuit. The move came about earlier in the race, as Vergne attempted an overtake down the inside of Müller’s Porsche, nudging his rival into the barriers, before making the overtake down the main straight. Vergne would eventually finish 16th in the race, after serving his time penalty. 

Müller received two time penalties on Saturday | Credit: Simon Galloway/LAT Images

Porsche’s Nico Müller received two time penalties of five seconds each during the race. The first of those penalties were imposed on him after an incident on Lap 12, when the Berlin winner misjudged his braking point into the Rascasse right-hander, clattering into the rear of teammate Wehrlein. 

While Müller trundled around the track without a front wing, his teammate suffered a puncture, limping around the circuit and losing several positions on Lap 13. 

Although the Swiss driver mentioned he was caught out by the car ahead coasting into the corner, he was deemed to be entirely responsible for the incident. 

Despite finishing eighth in the order, another five-second penalty for Müller dropped him out of the points. This was after he was deemed responsible for making contact with Edoardo Mortara at the Hairpin, with his countryman picking up a puncture and being forced to pit for repairs. 

Mortara himself fell foul of the stewards during the race, suffering a drive-through penalty after his tyre pressures were found to be below the minimum limit mandated for the race. 

DS Penske’s Maximilian Günther incurred a five-second time penalty during the race, after being found responsible for a late-race incident with Müller at the Hairpin once again. He would drop to 12th at the line, but post-race penalties for Ticktum and Müller would elevate him back into the points. Günther would also take home the point for the fastest lap in Round 9. 

Ticktum received a 33-second time penalty during the Monaco E-Prix | Credit: Ryan Fleming

Ticktum, though, suffered heartbreak towards the end of the race, after an investigation by the stewards found him to be at fault for his race-ending collision with António Félix da Costa on Lap 27. The Cupra Kiro driver, running in a podium position, defended his position going into the Nouvelle chicane. Da Costa, though, went for a move down the inside of the Briton, making contact with Ticktum and then the barrier on the inside of the corner. 

The incident disintegrated da Costa’s front left tyre from his Jaguar, as he limped back to the pits following his impact with the wall. 

While Ticktum celebrated what was set to be a first podium of the season, the stewards slapped a drive through penalty on the Cupra Kiro driver. As this penalty was handed out in the final two laps of the race, it was converted into a 33-second time penalty, dropping Ticktum out of the points. 

He was found to have reacted to the presence of da Costa on the inside of the corner, and changed direction towards the inside, thereby responsible for the incident. 

A disappointed Ticktum then shared an Instagram story voicing his thoughts on the incident, before receiving a further fine for skipping his media pen duties post-race.  

Round 10

Mortara received a penalty on the opening lap of the Monaco E-Prix | Credit: Ryan Fleming

Mortara was the first driver to receive a time penalty on Sunday. The Mahindra racer, who had qualified third, made contact with second-placed da Costa at the Nouvelle chicane on the opening lap, spinning the Jaguar driver around. 

While da Costa rejoined the track in 16th, the stewards dished out a 10-second time penalty to Mortara. This would drop him from second to fifth in the final classification, promoting Felipe Drugovich to second, and da Costa to the final podium position. 

DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard received a 10-second time penalty for an incident with Nato at the final corner. An eager move into the final corner saw him make contact with the Nissan driver, forcing him into the barriers. Nato would suffer suspension damage, stopping at the exit of the pit lane to retire from the race. 

The Briton would also incur a further 10 seconds in penalties later in the race, after an incident at the Nouvelle chicane saw him make contact with Vergne, spinning the Citroën driver around. 

With Barnard later having his own incident at Portier corner and finishing down in 15th, the stewards elected to convert his time penalties into a 10-place grid drop for the upcoming Sanya E-Prix in June. 

Barnard’s teammate Günther would also suffer two successive time penalties during the race. The first of those was for an incident with Sébastien Buemi at the Hairpin, with the DS Penske man making contact as he attempted to overtake Buemi at the corner. While the stewards noted Buemi’s tighter line into the corner, Günther still received a penalty after he was deemed responsible for the incident. 

The German driver would receive another five-second time penalty after he was found guilty of speeding under the full course yellow on Lap 27. The stewards elected to convert this into a five-place grid drop instead, for the upcoming Sanya E-Prix, as he was unable to serve the penalty late in the race. 

Pepe Martí's race ended after a collision with Cassidy

Cupra Kiro’s Pepe Martí suffered a 10-second time penalty for his incident with Cassidy on Lap 18, after an attempt to overtake the New Zealander saw both drivers end up in the barriers. With Martí then out of the race, the stewards elected to convert his grid penalty into a five-place grid drop for the upcoming Sanya E-Prix in June. 

Martí’s teammate Ticktum would also be handed a five-second time penalty for speeding under the full course yellows. He would serve the penalty, dropping out of the points in the race. 

Dennis would be the last driver to receive a time penalty on Sunday, for an incident with Ticktum at the Hairpin. With the Cupra Kiro man suffering damage and pitting for repairs, Dennis was handed a five-second penalty post-race, dropping him from sixth on the road to 12th in the classification, and promoting Lola’s Zane Maloney up to 10th.