Carlos Sainz has responded to Oscar Piastri’s criticism following their Hungarian Grand Prix collision, arguing that a malfunctioning blue-flag system and the McLaren driver’s position in his blind spot made the contact extremely difficult to avoid. The Williams driver received a five-second penalty after striking the front of Oscar Piastri’s car while the Australian attempted to lap Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, but the stewards identified mitigating circumstances and reduced what would normally have been a 10-second sanction.
Formula 1 had to wait three and a half seasons to see Oscar Piastri truly lose his composure. The usually impassive and inscrutable McLaren driver expressed his anger after the Hungarian Grand Prix once he had returned to the paddock following his retirement with a gearbox problem on lap 56. His departure ended McLaren’s hopes of a double podium in Hungary, although Lando Norris went on to secure victory.
Carlos Sainz answers Oscar Piastri after Hungarian GP collision
Oscar Piastri’s frustration was triggered by a manoeuvre involving Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard was locked in a close fight with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin between Turns 1 and 3 when his Williams made contact with the front of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren as the Australian tried to lap both Spanish drivers.
After learning of Oscar Piastri’s criticism and the blame directed towards him, Carlos Sainz offered his version of the incident and highlighted the mitigating factors that he believed had contributed to the collision.
The first was a problem with the blue-flag warning system, which was not working correctly on the drivers’ steering wheels. Carlos Sainz also argued that, while fighting Fernando Alonso, he had no opportunity to see Oscar Piastri approaching because the McLaren was in the Williams driver’s blind spot.
“We didn’t have the blue lights on the steering wheel which, normally, when we are involved in battles like that, help us understand whether we are about to be lapped or not. At that moment, I had absolutely no idea that I was about to be lapped and, on top of that, I was right in the middle of a good battle with Fernando, trying to pass him down the inside on corner entry. That’s why I didn’t expect Oscar to be there.
“Even if I had expected him to be there, he was in my blind spot, so from my side it was honestly impossible to avoid him. Better communication probably would have helped, but at the same time these are racing situations that sometimes happen.
“Honestly, I’m very sorry for Oscar, but this time I think I have a fairly valid justification for what happened. I don’t know, maybe he could also have been a little more cautious, given that he was fighting for the podium, by positioning himself a little more carefully, considering all the problems we were having with the blue flags.
“That said, it is what it is. I accepted the five-second penalty. It doesn’t change much for me when I’m fighting for 18th place. That’s how it went.”
Blue-flag problem and blind spot central to Sainz’s defence
Carlos Sainz therefore accepted his penalty but maintained that the circumstances were considerably more complicated than they might initially have appeared. Although his Williams team had warned him by radio that Oscar Piastri was approaching, he was simultaneously engaged in a fight for position with Fernando Alonso.
That battle demanded Carlos Sainz’s full attention as he attempted to reclaim the position from the Aston Martin. Oscar Piastri’s location alongside the two cars then left the McLaren hidden from Carlos Sainz’s view until the contact occurred.
The incident became one of the most contentious moments of a dramatic race in which Lando Norris claimed his first Hungarian Grand Prix victory. The complete finishing order can be found in the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix results and classification.
Sainz takes aim at Williams after being lapped twice
After defending his actions in the collision, Carlos Sainz also directed a pointed remark towards his team. Since entering Formula 1, the former Ferrari driver had never previously been lapped twice during the same Grand Prix. It was a painful first for the Spaniard and illustrated the scale of Williams’ difficulties at the Hungaroring.
“I know there was something wrong with the system today and it was a very difficult day to manage as far as the blue flags were concerned. But it is equally true that we need to be faster to avoid being lapped. I had never been lapped twice in the same race in my life, so it is a really negative situation.”
The incident with Oscar Piastri was therefore only one part of a deeply disappointing afternoon for Carlos Sainz. The five-second penalty had little effect on his position while he was fighting near the back of the field, but being lapped twice underlined the much larger performance problem confronting Williams.
Why Carlos Sainz received only a five-second penalty
Carlos Sainz’s manoeuvre was immediately noted by the stewards and subsequently investigated. A penalty appeared inevitable and was officially confirmed a few laps after the contact with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.
However, when the decision appeared on the timing screens, Carlos Sainz had received a five-second penalty rather than the standard 10-second sanction generally imposed on a driver found responsible for causing a collision. The stewards’ written decision after the race explained why they had chosen to reduce the penalty.
“The Stewards examined video evidence, telemetry data, team radio communications and in-car video footage. On lap 38, approaching Turn 3, Car 55 was engaged in a battle with Car 14.
“The driver of Car 55 had been informed by his team that blue flags were being displayed due to the approach of Car 81. As Car 81 attempted to overtake, contact occurred between Cars 55 and 81.”
The sequence began while Carlos Sainz was on the straight and under pressure from Fernando Alonso. The Williams driver received a radio message from his pit wall warning him about blue flags connected to Oscar Piastri’s approach.
Fernando Alonso overtook Carlos Sainz under braking for Turn 1, after which the Williams driver attempted to fight back between Turns 2 and 3. It was during that battle, as Carlos Sainz tried to regain the position from Fernando Alonso, that Oscar Piastri attempted to pass and the two cars made contact.
Stewards identify mitigating circumstances in Sainz penalty
“The Stewards determined that the driver of Car 55 was wholly responsible for the collision with Car 81. Although the standard penalty for causing a collision is a 10-second time penalty, the Stewards identified a mitigating circumstance. At the time of the incident, the position of Car 55 relative to the track and the other cars — specifically the Aston Martin with which Sainz was battling — meant that Car 81 was not visible to the driver of Car 55 before the overtaking attempt.
“Although he had been informed that Car 81 was approaching, the Stewards considered that the restricted visibility reduced the driver’s degree of responsibility.
“Taking this mitigating circumstance into account, the Stewards determined that a five-second penalty, rather than the standard 10-second penalty, was appropriate.”
The presence of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and the positioning of the cars during their battle were therefore decisive. Although Carlos Sainz had received a warning that Oscar Piastri was approaching, the McLaren was not visible from the Williams cockpit before the Australian attempted the pass.
That restricted visibility persuaded the stewards not to impose the full standard penalty. Carlos Sainz remained responsible for causing the collision, but the circumstances reduced his level of culpability sufficiently for the sanction to be cut from 10 seconds to five.
Oscar Piastri’s retirement ultimately prevented him from converting his pace into a podium result, while Kimi Antonelli strengthened his championship position with a podium from seventh on the grid. The wider consequences of the Budapest result can be followed in the updated Formula 1 driver standings, while a broader account of the race is available in the Hungarian Grand Prix recap.
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