F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya’s daughter Paulina caused a £428 F2 fine after her outfit violated a little-known pit lane regulation.
The daughter of Formula One legend Juan Pablo Montoya unexpectedly landed her younger brother in trouble at the Spanish Grand Prix after her outfit resulted in a £428 fine for his Formula 2 team.
Paulina Montoya, a 20-year-old social media influencer with more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, was attending the F2 event as a guest of Prema Racing.
She was there to support her brother Sebastian Montoya, who is competing for the team during his second season in Formula 2.
However, her appearance in the pit lane on Friday resulted in an unusual situation involving FIA regulations and ultimately cost Prema £428.
The incident centered on a little-known rule concerning clothing in the pit lane. Although Paulina was attending the event as a guest rather than as an operational member of the Prema team, officials determined that the regulations still applied because of her access to the team’s restricted area.
Paulina Montoya’s Outfit Leads to FIA Investigation
Paulina was reportedly wearing a white dress while in the pit lane during Friday’s action at the Spanish Grand Prix.
While the outfit itself was not prohibited from being worn at the circuit, FIA regulations state that team and technical personnel must wear long trousers while in the pit lane during practice sessions and races.
Prema attempted to explain the situation to the stewards, arguing that Paulina was a guest of the team and was not involved in the team’s operational activities.
The team therefore believed she should be exempt from the requirement.
However, the FIA stewards disagreed.
Officials referred to the FIA International Sporting Code, which establishes that guests granted access to certain restricted areas can fall within the relevant definition of participants.
The regulations also place responsibility on competitors for the actions of people they allow into reserved areas.
As a result, Prema was fined £428 over the incident.
The unusual ruling meant that Sebastian Montoya, who had not personally committed the clothing violation, was effectively caught up in the consequences because of his association with the team.
Paulina Responds by Changing Her Outfit
Rather than allowing the incident to become a major controversy, Paulina appeared to take the situation in good humor.
When she returned to the circuit the following day, she changed her outfit and wore white trousers while attending the event.
She also appeared to acknowledge the FIA’s ruling on Instagram, posting the simple caption: “Appropriate attire.”
The change of clothing allowed her to continue supporting her brother while avoiding another potential breach of the pit lane regulations.
On Sunday, Paulina returned to wearing a floor-length dress. However, she reportedly remained further away from the cars and did not get as close to the pit lane activity as she had on Friday.
The incident highlighted just how broadly the FIA’s regulations can apply inside restricted areas at Formula 2 events.
What Did the FIA Say About the Fine?
The FIA stewards explained their reasoning in an official decision after summoning the team representative and reviewing video evidence from the session.
According to the stewards, the team representative argued that the woman involved was a guest and not an operational member of the team.
The officials, however, pointed to guidance given to competitors before the event in Madrid.
They stated that guests are included within the relevant category under Article 20 of the FIA International Sporting Code.
The stewards also referred to Article 9.15, which states that competitors are responsible for acts or omissions by people who are granted access to reserved areas by the competitor.
Another regulation was particularly important to the decision.
Article 22.15 of the Sporting Regulations states that team and technical personnel must wear long trousers in the pit lane during practice sessions and races.
After reviewing the evidence, the stewards concluded that a person associated with Car 11 had been near the car without wearing long trousers during the session.
The team was therefore fined.
The decision demonstrates that the FIA’s pit lane rules are not limited solely to drivers and mechanics actively working on the cars. Teams can also be held responsible for people they allow into restricted areas.
Sebastian Montoya’s F2 Career
The unusual incident occurred during an important period in Sebastian Montoya’s young racing career.
The 21-year-old is currently competing in his second Formula 2 season with Prema.
He has followed in the footsteps of his famous father and is attempting to establish himself in the highly competitive junior single-seater championship.
At the time of the Spanish Grand Prix, Sebastian was sitting 16th in the Formula 2 standings.
His career has attracted attention in part because of his family background.
His father, Juan Pablo Montoya, is one of the most recognizable Colombian racing drivers of his generation and enjoyed a successful career in Formula 1 before continuing his career across several other major racing series.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s Formula 1 Legacy
Juan Pablo Montoya competed in Formula 1 from 2001 until 2006, racing for Williams and McLaren.
During his F1 career, Montoya won seven Grands Prix and twice finished as high as third in the Drivers’ Championship.
Known for his aggressive racing style and versatility, Montoya established himself as one of the sport’s most successful drivers outside the traditional European racing pathway.
After leaving Formula 1, he continued competing at the highest level of motorsport.
Montoya returned to North American racing and competed in IndyCar, where he added further major achievements to his career.
He also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, demonstrating the versatility that had already been evident during his international racing career.
Now, his son Sebastian is attempting to create his own path toward the top levels of motorsport.
For the Montoya family, however, the Spanish Grand Prix produced a memorable story away from the racing itself.
What began as Paulina supporting her brother from the Prema garage ultimately resulted in a £428 team fine because of an obscure pit lane clothing regulation.
Paulina’s quick response — changing into trousers the next day and joking about the situation with her “Appropriate attire” caption — ensured that the unusual incident remained a lighthearted sideshow to the Formula 2 weekend.
For Sebastian and Prema, though, the episode served as a reminder that FIA regulations can extend beyond the drivers and mechanics directly involved in racing.
Teams are responsible for ensuring that people granted access to restricted areas follow the rules, even when those individuals are attending as guests.