Carlos Sainz’s penalty from the Dutch Grand Prix has been overturned following an appeal lodged by Williams. The Spanish driver received a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points for his collision with Liam Lawson during the race at Zandvoort on August 27, 2023. Both drivers suffered punctures in the incident, and Sainz expressed disbelief at the penalty, describing it as a “complete joke” after finishing in 13th place.
On September 4, just days after the event, Williams announced their intention to challenge Sainz’s penalty in hopes of removing the two points added to his super licence. This appeal led to a virtual hearing with Zandvoort stewards, during which the FIA confirmed they had made a decision to rescind the initial ruling.
The stewards accepted Williams’ argument that the collision should be classified as a racing incident rather than attributing fault to Sainz. According to the decision, “the collision was caused by a momentary loss of control by Car 30 (Lawson).” The stewards concluded that neither driver was predominantly to blame, stating that Sainz’s car contributed to the incident by driving close to Lawson’s vehicle, which had no room to maneuver.
Despite the overturning of the penalty points, Sainz had already served the time penalty during the race, which remains unaffected. Williams presented new evidence, including footage from a 360-degree camera mounted on Sainz’s car, which was pivotal in the stewards’ reassessment of the incident.
Shortly after the announcement, Williams released a statement expressing their gratitude for the review while also voicing frustration over the original decision. The statement read in part, “We are grateful to the stewards for reviewing Carlos’ Zandvoort penalty and are pleased they have now decided he was not at fault.” They acknowledged the impact of the initial ruling on their race and emphasized their commitment to work with the FIA to enhance stewarding processes moving forward.
The Formula 1 calendar now shifts focus to the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, set to take place from September 19 to 21, 2023. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1.
