It was another uphill weekend for Carlos Sainz: under investigation at the Japanese GP for a bizarre incident, and now the stewards’ verdict has arrived.
After Ferrari’s disqualification during the Shanghai weekend, the Spaniard gained three positions, earning his first point for Williams this year. At Suzuka, car #55 showed slight improvement during free practice, but in qualifying he failed to put together the lap needed to reach Q3.
Classified twelfth on the grid, he was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton. The race in Japan was a calvary for the former Ferrari driver: starting fifteenth on a circuit where overtaking is extremely difficult, he adopted an alternative strategy by delaying his pit stop. Returning to the track on soft tyres (after starting on mediums), Carlos Sainz attempted a comeback and finished the race in fourteenth position.
In addition, car #55 was noted twice for leaving the track and appearing to attempt to gain an advantage over Liam Lawson, but in reality, he held position and did not overtake. For this reason, the stewards decided not to take any further action.
And, as if that weren’t enough, the Williams driver was summoned by the stewards for a minor incident before the Grand Prix. As stated in the FIA report, Carlos Sainz was late for the national anthem and will now have to explain the reason.
Being present 14 minutes before the start of the race for the national anthem is mandatory for all drivers. Carlos Sainz was deemed to have violated Article 19.4 b of the 2025 sporting regulations.
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