Carlos Sainz Receives Three-Place Grid Penalty for Qualifying Mishap

In a surprising turn of events, Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during the qualifying session at Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix. The incident occurred as both drivers were battling it out on the track.

What Happened Between Sainz and Hamilton?

As Hamilton approached Turn 1 at high speed for his final flying lap in Q2, he encountered an unexpected obstacle – Sainz, who was right in the middle of the road. Hamilton had to abruptly abort his lap and take evasive action into the runoff area.

Sainz admitted that he had no warning about Hamilton’s fast approach and was taken aback by the situation. The driver who replaced him at Ferrari this season, Hamilton, was apparently unseen by Sainz due to the angle of his car and the approach speed.

Despite Sainz’s claims of surprise, the FIA’s race stewards acknowledged his predicament but emphasized that it is the responsibility of the team to warn its drivers about traffic. The penalty drops Sainz from 12th to 15th on the grid, narrowly missing out on a spot in Q3.

In their verdict, the stewards stated, “Car 55 [Sainz] was on an in-lap after completing a push lap when Car 44 [Hamilton] was starting its push lap, and Car 44 had to move off track to avoid Car 55 in Turn 1.” They further noted that Sainz’s team could have warned him about Hamilton’s approach but failed to do so.

The stewards also pointed out that more than 8 seconds elapsed from when it was clear that Hamilton was not going into the pits and would start a push lap, and when Sainz could have taken appropriate action if he had been warned by his team.

According to the standard penalty guideline for such an offense during qualifying, irrespective of fault, a three-grid position penalty is applied. Therefore, the stewards found that the standard penalty should be applied in this case.

How Will This Affect Sainz and His Team?

Sainz’s teammate Alex Albon managed to advance to Q3, securing ninth place for Williams as they continue their fierce fight against Racing Bulls at the front of the midfield. Despite the penalty, Sainz will still be hoping for a strong performance in the race.

Photos from Japanese GP – Practice & Qualifying show the intense competition and close calls that are characteristic of Formula 1 racing. The incident between Sainz and Hamilton is just one example of the high-stakes drama that unfolds on the track.