Williams win Right of Review as Carlos Sainz penalty overturned
Carlos Sainz's Dutch GP penalty rescinded after Williams succeed with Right of Review.
Williams have won their Right of Review case over Carlos Sainz’s penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Sainz was handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his superlicence for clashing with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson at Zandvoort, with the Spaniard labelling the decision a “complete joke”.
Williams confirmed ahead of the Italian Grand Prix that they would be challenging the penalty in a virtual hearing to review the incident that took place on Friday.
The FIA were satisfied with the evidence compiled by Williams and looked at the matter again, before deciding to rescind the penalty.
While nothing could be done about the time penalty as it was served during the race, the two penalty points given to Sainz have been wiped.
"We are grateful to the stewards for reviewing Carlos' Zandvoort penalty and are pleased they have now decided he was not at fault and that this was a racing incident,” a Williams team statement read.
"While it is frustrating that our race was compromised by the original decision, mistakes are part of motor racing and we will continue to work constructively with the FIA to improve stewarding processes and review the racing rules for the future.”
What did the FIA’s report say?
The FIA report read: “The Stewards agree with Williams’ characterisation of the collision as a racing incident.
"The Stewards are satisfied that the collision was caused by a momentary loss of control by Car 30 [Lawson]. However, in the Stewards’ assessment, no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for that collision.
“Car 55 [Sainz] contributed to the incident by taking the risk to drive close to, and on the outside of, Car 30 when Car 55 had no right to room there and there was a real possibility that, if the collision had not occurred where it did, Car 55 would run out of track at the exit and/or a collision would have occurred at the exit for which the Driver of Car 55 would likely be predominantly if not wholly to blame.
"The time penalty imposed by the Decision was served by Car 55 during the race. The Stewards have no power to remedy that served time penalty by amending the Classifications but note that the gap between Car 55 to the car ahead in the Final Classification of the race (coincidently Car 30) was 17 seconds.
“The Decision having been rescinded, it follows that the 2 penalty points imposed on the Driver of Car 55 are to be removed."
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