Carlos Sainz suffers fresh blow after ‘complete joke’ penalty for Liam Lawson clash
Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson came to blows at the Dutch Grand Prix
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has had two penalty points added to his F1 superlicence for causing a collision with Liam Lawson at the Dutch Grand Prix, the FIA has confirmed.
It comes after Sainz described the decision to hand him a 10-second penalty at Zandvoort “a complete joke.”
Carlos Sainz given two FIA penalty points after Liam Lawson clash
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Sainz and Lawson made contact at Turn 1 while battling for position following a mid-race Safety Car, with both drivers falling a lap behind after suffering punctures.
Sainz was adjudged to be at fault for the incident despite replays appearing to show Lawson’s car drifting to the outside of the corner as he defended the position.
Lawson and Sainz eventually finished 12th and 13th, with the latter heard describing his penalty as “the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life” over team radio.
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The FIA has confirmed that Sainz has had two penalty points added to his superlicence in addition to his in-race penalty, putting him on four for the current 12-month window.
Under F1’s penalty points system, introduced in 2014, drivers face an automatic one-race ban if they accumulate 12 penalty points within a 12-month period, with former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen becoming the first to be banned last season.
The stewards’ report on the incident between Sainz and Lawson read: “The Stewards reviewed video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence.
“Car 55 was attempting to overtake Car 30 on the outside of Turn 1. The front axle of Car 55 was not ahead of the front axle of Car 30 at the apex of Turn 1.
“Car 55 attempted to stay on the outside of Car 30 and a collision occurred.
“We considered that Car 30 had the right to the corner and therefore Car 55 was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision.
“As is standard for a collision of this nature and as prescribed under the guidelines, we imposed a 10 second time penalty on Car 55.”
After sparring on track, Sainz and Lawson traded verbal blows after the race with the Williams driver accusing his rival of consistently being too aggressive in defence.
Sainz told media including PlanetF1.com: “First of all, the incident, I think, is quite clear.
“How many examples we’ve seen in Turn 1 in some order of two cars racing side by side without contact?
“It’s a corner that allows two cars to race each other without really having to have any unnecessary contact.
“But with Liam, it always seems to be very difficult to make that happen.
“He always seems to prefer to have a bit of contact and risk a DNF or a puncture like we did, than to actually accept having two cars side by side.
“Hopefully it will come with more experience to him, because he knows he’s putting too many points on the line just for an unnecessary manoeuvre like he did.
“But on top of that, to then get that 10-second penalty for it, I think it’s a complete joke.”
More on Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson from PlanetF1.com
In response, Lawson pointed to the fact that Sainz was found to be at fault for the incident before criticising the former Ferrari driver for complaining to the media rather than speaking to him directly.
Lawson told media including PlanetF1.com: “He was overtaking me today and I also think he got a penalty today, so he can make all the comments in the world he likes.
“I wish he’d just come and talk to me about it rather than telling everybody else.
“But if it was my fault, I would have got a penalty.
“I understand his frustration. We don’t want to be in these situations and I’ve been on the receiving end as well.
“It’s just the way the rules are written and we all know that.
“I’m not stoked either. It ruined my day.
“The rules are written as they are and we know how they’re written.
“I’ve been on the receiving end this year as well, where I was going for an overtake and thought that I should be given space, and I wasn’t, and I got a penalty.
“So it’s something that we learn from. It’s lap one on a restart.
“It’s super slippery, cold tyres and it’s fine to go for the move, but it’s just risky.
“In the end, we made contact, which was not ideal, but that’s why he got a penalty.”
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