Stewards give reason for Carlos Sainz penalty
31st August 2025The FIA stewards have given their reasoning on why they gave Williams’ Carlos Sainz a penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix, following a collision with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.
Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool
The FIA has released their reasoning on why they slapped Sainz with a 10-second time penalty at the Dutch GP, following his collision with New Zealand’s Liam Lawson. A collision which ruined both drivers’ races, spending most of it a lap down with the field.
The collision came after the restart, when the Safety Car came out to remove Lewis Hamilton’s stricken Ferrari after he hit the barrier at turn three, on lap 23. Both drivers ended the restart lap with punctures and had to crawl back to the pit lane for new tyres.
Following the news of the penalty, Sainz was unsure why he was hit with a penalty, having initially blamed the incident on Lawson.
However, the stewards have now given their reasoning.
They claimed Sainz was trying to overtake Lawson around the outside of turn one, and confirmed his front axle was not ahead of Lawson’s car at the apex. Sainz remained on the outside as Kiwi racing on the inside and the collision occurred.
Following the contact, and that Lawson ‘had the right to the corner,’ the Stewards claimed Sainz was ‘wholly or predominately to blame’ for the collision. They said:
“Car 55 [Sainz] was attempting to overtake Car 30 [Lawson] 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.”
Sainz did serve his penalty in the race, so it was not added to his elapsed race time, but the Spaniard was given two penalty points for the incident, totalling up to four points on his super licence so far in a 12-month period.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Oscar Piastri wins Dutch Grand Prix as Isack Hadjar seals podium
- Tyre Strategies: possible options for F1 Dutch Grand Prix
- Lance Stroll granted permission to race in Dutch Grand Prix
- FIA give update on Max Verstappen driving slowly breach
- Oscar Piastri clinches Dutch Grand Prix pole pipping Lando Norris
- FIA confirm verdict for pit lane infringement at Dutch Grand Prix
Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the latest news from ApexMotorsports.co.uk!
You can also support us on Patreon or our website!
Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
