F1 star claims FIA ignored controversial penalty protest

Sainz penalised by the FIA — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star claims FIA ignored controversial penalty protest

Carlos Sainz was punished at the Dutch Grand Prix

Chris Deeley

Thursday 4 September 2025 17:56

Carlos Sainz has claimed that the F1 race stewards at the Dutch Grand Prix told him they didn't want to discuss his penalty in the aftermath of the race.

Sainz was controversially given a ten-second penalty during the race for contact with Liam Lawson, a decision which left him spluttering with rage on his team radio.

"Who?!" he asked. "Who gets a penalty? Me?! Are you joking? You're joking. I mean, it's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life. Make sure we go visit the stewards after the race. I want to have a talk with them."

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The Spaniard confirmed after last weekend's race that he planned to talk to both Lawson, who he called 'so stupid' in a previous radio message, and the stewards – but that he had been told the stewards 'would rather not talk right now'.

To add insult to injury, two penalty points were handed down to the Williams star after the race, although they only take his current tally to a very manageable four out of 12 allowed.

Sainz fumes at FIA inconsistency

The 31-year-old also took the opportunity to question the FIA's sincerity with regards to their apparent message to drivers that the stewards' door is always open to discuss controversial calls, insisting he was 'just trying to get an explanation'.

"I'm planning to talk to both [the stewards and Lawson]," he said in a post-race interview. I would rather do it with some piece of video in front of me.

"I've already reviewed it myself and I've seen what I have to see, but the most confusing part is that the FIA always tells us that their door is open to go and see the stewards and consult any kind of doubts, but I just received a message that they would rather not talk to me right now.

"I don't know where this comes from, it's not like I'm going to do anything crazy, I'm just trying to get an explanation."

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FIA Carlos Sainz