Carlos Sainz Cleared of Penalty After Controversy at the Dutch Grand Prix
A momentous decision has been made by the stewards of the Dutch Grand Prix, who revoked the penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz, Formula 1 driver, following a review requested by the Williams team. The incident, which occurred in Zandvoort two weeks ago, sparked debate in the world of motorsport. Williams presented new camera angles that, according to the stewards, proved that the collision with Liam Lawson was a “racing incident” and not Sainz’s responsibility. Although the 10-second penalty in the race could not be modified, the two penalty points on Sainz’s super license were removed. Williams, after the Italian Grand Prix, formally requested a review of the penalty imposed on Sainz.
The stewards also pointed out that it was not possible to annul the time penalty, but confirmed the removal of points from Sainz’s license, who now has two points in the last 12 months. Williams issued a statement celebrating the stewards’ decision. “We are grateful to the stewards for reviewing Carlos’ penalty at Zandvoort and we are pleased that they have now decided that he was not at fault and that it was a racing incident,” said a team spokesperson. “While it’s frustrating that our race was compromised by the original decision, mistakes are part of motorsport and we will continue to work constructively with the FIA to improve the arbitration processes and review the race rules for the future.”“The stewards agree with Williams’ characterization of the crash as a racing incident. The stewards are satisfied that the collision was caused by a momentary loss of control by car 30. However, in the stewards’ assessment, no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for that collision,” the stewards stated.
