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Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Faces Grid Penalty at Japanese Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz, competing for Williams in Formula 1, has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix following an incident during qualifying where he impeded Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.

During Q2, as Hamilton approached Turn 1 for his final flying lap, he encountered Sainz, who was situated on the racing line. This forced Hamilton to abort his lap and veer into the runoff area to avoid a collision.

Sainz expressed his surprise, stating that he received no indication from his team about Hamilton’s rapid approach, which ultimately caught him off guard. Despite showing understanding of the situation, the FIA stewards held that it is the team’s responsibility to provide drivers with timely warnings about impending traffic on the track. Consequently, they imposed the typical three-place grid penalty.

This decision means Sainz will start the race from 15th place, dropping him from his original qualifying position of 12th. He had narrowly missed advancing to Q3 in the session.

The stewards elaborated on their decision, explaining: “Car 55 [Sainz] was on an in-lap after completing a push lap when Car 44 [Hamilton] began its push lap, requiring Car 44 to take evasive action off track to avoid Car 55 at Turn 1.” They acknowledged Sainz’s statement regarding the lack of warning from his team, emphasizing that he was taken by surprise and unable to notice Hamilton due to the latter’s speed and the positioning of Sainz’s car.

Furthermore, the stewards noted that Sainz’s team was aware of Hamilton’s out-lap and had over eight seconds during which they could have communicated the situation to him. Considering these circumstances, they deemed it appropriate to apply the standard penalty associated with such infractions, which typically results in a three-position grid drop.

Meanwhile, Sainz’s teammate, Alex Albon, managed to qualify into Q3, securing ninth on the grid, as Williams continues to contend with the leading teams within the midfield.

Photos from Japanese GP – Practice & Qualifying

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