Carlos Sainz handed three-place grid drop for impeding Sergio Perez

Turkish Grand Prix

Sainz handed three-place grid drop for impeding Perez

McLaren driver held up Racing Point at end of Q2

Sam Hall & Ewan Gale

Saturday 14 November 2020 17:07

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McLaren driver Carlos Sainz has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Turkish Grand Prix after impeding Sergio Perez during qualifying.

Sainz had just left the pits in Q2 when the incident occurred, with television replays clearly showing the McLaren driver holding up his Racing Point counterpart through the opening part of the lap.

The stewards' report explained they had "heard from the driver of car 11 [Sergio Perez], the driver of car 55 [Carlos Sainz] and both team representatives and have reviewed multiple angles of video evidence and radio calls to car 55.

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"Car 55 was exiting the pits as car 11 passed through turn one. Car 11 caught up to car 55 in turns two/three and was unnecessarily impeded by car 55 at that point and through several subsequent turns.

"While extraordinary track conditions clearly impacted the situation, radio communications from the team clearly warned car 55 that car 11 was behind him."

Disappointed McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said: "Clearly, we have seen this incident differently. There is no point in going into the detail now.

"In the end, we have to accept if that is the decision of the stewards, which compromises the race even more, but it is what it is and we will still try with both cars tomorrow to fight for points."

The penalty means Sainz will provisionally drop from 13th to 16th, promoting Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen up one place each.

The decision may also drastically impact the battle for third in the constructors' championship, with McLaren's rivals Racing Point occupying first and third on the grid - pending an investigation into polesitter Lance Stroll ignoring yellow flags -and Renault also with both cars in the top 10.

Before you go...

Stroll pole in doubt due to yellow-flag investigation

Perez blames Giovinazzi for missed pole opportunity