F1 | Carlos Sainz speaks out after the Dutch GP incident with Liam Lawson, criticizing the 10-second penalty
Carlos Sainz openly expressed his frustration during interviews after the Dutch Grand Prix, pointing out that the FIA did not even want to discuss the incident with him. During the 72 laps at Zandvoort, on lap 27 after a safety car restart, the Spanish driver was involved in a collision with Liam Lawson.
At Turn 1, the two drivers came side by side and made contact, which proved costly for both. While their teammates collected significant points—Alex Albon finishing fifth and Isack Hadjar third—they ended up in 12th and 13th position.
Immediately after the incident, the 30-year-old said over the radio: “He’s simply stupid. My God. This guy, always the same person.”
Adding to the difficulties, Sainz received a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision. The Williams driver bluntly called the penalty a total joke. Despite wanting to discuss the situation with the FIA, the federation decided there would be no discussion, further fueling Sainz’s frustration at being unable to defend himself.
Even Alex Albon, who was behind Sainz during the contact, supported his teammate. He stated, “The fault was clearly Liam’s. So I don’t know why Carlos got the penalty. I think I had the best view of anyone.”
Regardless, the FIA appears unwilling to revisit its decision, but Sainz stated he has no intention of giving up until he can discuss it with them.
Carlos Sainz’s perspective
Carlos Sainz usually maintains measured language despite F1’s adrenaline, but in the heat of the moment he couldn’t restrain himself and called Lawson “stupid.”
“I try to stay controlled and choose my words carefully on the radio. I’d say I’m balanced. I try to in this adrenaline-fueled and high-pressure sport,” the Spanish driver explained.
“But today was very difficult because first of all, I had an incident that cost me 10 more championship points while I was having one of my best weekends of the year. And I think the incident is pretty clear. That’s frustration number one,” he added. “Frustration number two is racing against a guy who is not new to causing incidents just to make sure there’s no side-by-side action.”
He continued: “I’ve raced against many drivers here at Turn 1, against quality drivers who allow side-by-side action in a nice corner like the first at Zandvoort. Today I tried to go side by side with someone who prefers not to. Someone who risks a collision and losing a lot of points while the other team car is on the podium. So it’s very frustrating, I’m very disappointed.”
The penalty
Regarding the 10-second penalty given after the contact, Carlos Sainz called it unacceptable. “Receiving a 10-second penalty for this, I think it’s a real joke,” he said. “Getting a 10-second penalty is unacceptable. Something I don’t understand, something I need explained. But anyway, I remain very confused.”
Asked if he still plans to speak with the stewards, Sainz confirmed: “Yes, I intend to talk to both. I’d prefer to have some video in front of me. I’ve already checked it myself and seen what I needed to see.”
He added: “The most confusing part is that the FIA always tells us the doors are open, to go talk to the stewards and consult them for any doubts. I just got a message saying they’d prefer not to talk to me right now. I don’t know where that comes from. I’m not going to do anything crazy, I’m just trying to get an explanation.”
“It’s a serious matter that concerns me as a driver and as GPDA director. I’ll make sure to discuss it,” he concluded.
Sainz explains the incident
Returning to the collision, Sainz clarified it wasn’t even an overtaking attempt; he was creating an opportunity to use later in the lap. “I just had a little margin on the outside and thought, ‘OK, I’ll start putting him out of position for Turn 2, Turn 3.’ I wasn’t trying to pass on the outside,” the n.55 explained.
“I was just trying to go side by side. Suddenly, there was contact that completely surprised me,” he continued. “You have to know which battles to pick. And probably Liam, in his early F1 years, is choosing to adopt a pressure or no-overtaking approach. That’s something I’ll keep in mind.”
“But yes, that’s been the story of my season so far. Again, a race where I could have finished fifth, where Alex [Albon] is. Another 10 points lost over something I don’t understand,” he concluded.
FIA statement
To justify penalizing Sainz and not Lawson, the FIA released a statement: “The front axle of car 55 [Sainz] was not ahead of the front axle of car 30 [Lawson] at the apex of Turn 1. Car 55 attempted to stay outside car 30 and a collision occurred. We deemed that car 30 had the right to the corner and that car 55 was therefore wholly or predominantly responsible for the collision.”
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