Sebastian Montoya has been handed a €500 fine at the Formula 2 round in Madrid, but the Colombian driver was not penalised for something he did on track. PREMA Racing was fined by the FIA stewards after a woman described by the team as a guest (apparently Montoya’s sister Paulina) was found wearing shorts in the restricted working lane next to Montoya’s car during Friday’s qualifying session at the new Madring circuit.
The stewards ruled that the incident breached Article 22.15 of the FIA Formula 2 Sporting Regulations, which requires team and technical personnel to wear long trousers in the pit lane during practice sessions and races.
Multaron con €500 Euros a Sebastian Montoya porque un miembro de su equipo estaba demasiado cerca del auto sin usar pantalón largo mientras lo arreglaban en el pitlane.
El miembro de su equipo que estaba junto a su auto en vestido, era su hermana! pic.twitter.com/zYCWku6PR3
— 🏁「 Alerta Racing 」🏁 (@AlertaRacing) September 11, 2026
Why Was Sebastian Montoya’s Team Fined?
According to the stewards’ decision, PREMA explained that the woman was a guest of the team and not an operational team member.
However, the regulations also make competitors responsible for the actions or omissions of people they allow access to restricted areas. The Race Director had reminded teams in the competition notes that guests were included under the relevant rules.
After reviewing video evidence and hearing the team representative, the stewards determined that the breach had taken place and fined PREMA €500.
The decision was issued at 19:13 local time on Friday, with the team given 48 hours to pay the fine.
The unusual penalty came during a chaotic first Formula 2 qualifying session at the Madring, which was interrupted by three red flags. Montoya was among several drivers involved in incidents during the session.
Montoya’s Madrid Weekend
The Madrid round is the 11th event of the 2026 Formula 2 season and marks the championship’s first visit to the new Madring circuit. Montoya, driving for PREMA alongside Mari Boya, is in his second F2 season with the team.
Dino Beganovic took pole position for the weekend’s feature race, ahead of Alex Dunne and Rafael Camara. Montoya’s qualifying session was affected by an incident, leaving him without a classified position in the final order after recording a 2:14.210 lap.
The F2 action continues on Saturday and Sunday, with the sprint race scheduled for Saturday and the feature race on Sunday. The feature race is scheduled for 11:25 local time on Sunday, ahead of the first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring later that afternoon.
