During the safety-car restart at Zandvoort, Sainz attempted an outside manoeuvre on Lawson into Turn 1, resulting in contact that caused punctures for both drivers.
Stewards judged that Sainz was wholly or predominantly at fault, noting that his front axle never reached alongside Lawson’s at the apex, and therefore awarded the penalty.
Sainz, still irate, labelled the penalty “a complete joke,” and criticised the standard of stewarding in Formula 1. “Are you joking? You are joking. It is the most ridiculous decision of my life,” he said moments after being informed over the radio.
Since then, Williams and Sainz have engaged in talks with the stewards. “I had the opportunity to go and sit with them for 15 minutes to analyse the incident,” Sainz confirmed. He believes that with a fuller review of onboard footage and detailed analysis, it would become clear that the penalty was not justified.
Although the time penalty has already been served and cannot be reversed, Williams are pursuing options to appeal the penalty points.
Sainz emphasised the importance of the FIA retaining flexibility to revisit such rulings: “A bad judgement can happen, as long as you have the capacity to revisit it… there is still time to reanalyse it, to reopen it and change it,” he said.
Multiple voices in the paddock are backing Sainz. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve described the stewards’ decision as “embarrassing for the FIA,” arguing that when the inside driver slides into the outside car, it seems unreasonable to penalise the overtaker.
Meanwhile, Lawson responded with irritation to Sainz’s public criticism. He pointed out that Sainz had been penalised, so the Spaniard was free to comment, but added, “I wish he’d just come and talk to me about it rather than telling everybody else.”
