Carlos Sainz has been hit with a three-grid penalty for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Williams driver Sainz qualified 12th for the race at the Suzuka circuit, but will now start 15th after the stewards found him guilty of impeding Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari. Sainz claimed he had been ‘surprised’ to see Hamilton in his mirrors.
Late in the second session of qualifying, seven-time F1 champion Hamilton embarked on a final push lap to cement his position in the top 10.
Although Williams driver Sainz was visible in the distance approaching the sweeping Turn 1 right-hander, the Spaniard was on a cool-down lap and blocked Hamilton through the corner, leaving him with no room for manoeuvre.
Confirming the penalty, a stewards’ report read: “Car 55 [Sainz] was on an in-lap after having completed 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.
“The driver of Car 55 stated that he did not have any warning from the team of the approach of Car 44 on a push lap. He stated that he was caught completely by surprise and because of the approach speed of Car 44, and the angle of his car, he could not see Car 44 in his mirrors.
“However, notwithstanding the above, the team had ample warning that Car 44 was on an out lap whilst Car 55 was on its push lap.
“Also, more than eight seconds elapsed from when it was obvious Car 44 was not going into the pits, and hence was going to start
a push lap, and when Car 55 could have taken appropriate action if the driver had been warned by the team.
“It is noted that the standard penalty guideline for this offence during qualifying, irrespective of whether it was the fault of the driver or the team, is a three-grid position penalty, and therefore the stewards find that the standard penalty should be applied.”
