Revealed: Why Carlos Sainz received reduced Hungarian GP penalty

Carlos Sainz received a five-second penalty, rather than the standard 10, after colliding with Oscar Piastri at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The FIA stewards have moved to explain the “mitigating circumstance” which led to the reduced penalty for Sainz. The collision compromised Piastri in his challenge for the win. Piastri later retired from the race with a gearbox failure.

Carlos Sainz penalty explained by FIA stewards

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Locked in battle with McLaren teammate Lando Norris for the win, Piastri was given the priority to pit first having been ahead on track.

But, as Piastri looked to move through the traffic, he collided with Carlos Sainz’s Williams at Turn 2.

From a wide line, as he battled Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Sainz cut back in and banged wheels with Piastri’s McLaren.

While Piastri continued, that setback was enough to allow Norris to pit and come back out as net race leader ahead of Piastri.

The stewards adjudged Sainz to be wholly accountable for the collision, issuing a five-second penalty.

“The stewards examined video, telemetry, team radio and in-car camera evidence,” the explanation begins.

“On Lap 38, at the approach to Turn 3, Car 55 was engaged in a battle with Car 14.

“The driver of Car 55 had been informed by the team that blue flags were being shown due to the approach of Car 81. As Car 81 attempted to overtake, contact occurred between Cars 55 and 81.

“The stewards determined that the driver of Car 55 was wholly responsible for the collision with Car 81.”

Despite that conclusion, the stewards only added five seconds to Sainz’s race time, not the 10 which is commonly dished out for causing a collision.

The stewards explained why they took this action.

“While the standard penalty for causing a collision is a 10-second time penalty, the stewards identified a mitigating factor.

“At the point of the incident, the positioning of Car 55 relative to the circuit and the other cars meant that Car 81 was not visible to the driver of Car 55 prior to the attempted overtake.

“Although the driver had been informed that Car 81 was approaching, the stewards accepted that the limited visibility reduced the degree of culpability.

“Taking this mitigating circumstance into account, the stewards determined that a five-second time penalty, rather than the standard 10-second penalty, was appropriate.”

More on Carlos Sainz from PlanetF1.com

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Carlos Sainz timeline ‘delayed’ as final Williams decision looms

Piastri was later forced to retire his McLaren due to a gearbox issue, as Norris went on to claim Hungarian Grand Prix victory.

Sainz was classified P18.

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Read next: – Lando Norris wins in Hungary after McLaren strategy twist, Hamilton penalised