F1 race winner subject to post-race inspection after FIA announcement

An FIA statement released ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix has revealed that an F1 race winner has been subject to inspections.

In the lead up to the 18th round of the championship at Marina Bay Street Circuit, F1's governing body announced that Carlos Sainz's Williams had been inspected following his podium finish last time out.

At the Azerbaijan GP in September, Sainz secured his best starting grid position since moving to James Vowles' outfit at the start of 2025, lining up on the front row alongside Max Verstappen.

The reigning champion went on to secure his fourth victory of the year, prompting talks that he may not be out of the title fight just yet.

Meanwhile, Sainz crossed the line behind George Russell in P3, meaning the Spaniard picked up his first podium with Williams in doing so.

Following the race, the FIA inspected the rear brake system on the 31-year-old's car, with the outcome now announced in the lead up to the race in Singapore.

Is Sainz's Baku podium under threat?

Thanks to his podium finish, Sainz qualified as one of the drivers whose car could be picked at random by the FIA out of the top 10 finishers.

The Technical Delegate’s Report from the previous grand prix was released in preparation for this weekend’s event in Singapore, revealing: “After the race in Baku, car number 55 was randomly chosen among the top ten cars for more extensive physical inspections.

“Subject to these physical inspections was the rear brake system."

Inspection elements included the brake system failure modes, powered brake control system, rear caliper pressure and homologation status of all related sensors and actuators.

Potential mechanisms capable of producing asymmetric braking torque across the rear axle were also assessed, along with the accuracy of submitted schematics compared to the physical implementation of the system.

The statement signed by the FIA's technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed that Sainz's car had passed all the physical inspections thanks to the elements being in conformance with the 2025 F1 technical regulations.

As a result, Sainz's glorious maiden podium with Williams and the points haul that came with it remain unchanged.

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