F1 stewards reveal ‘erratic driving’ decision after Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz incident

Formula 1’s stewards have delivered their verdict on the erratic driving investigation following an incident between Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in Hungarian Grand Prix practice. 

Williams driver Sainz has been issued with an official warning for the incident which occurred during the early stages of opening practice at the Hungaroring on Friday. 

Sainz got in the way of Verstappen while the Red Bull driver was trying to go for a quick lap. 

"Unbelievable these guys," Verstappen complained over team radio. "That was actually really dangerous, like he even slammed on the brakes."

"On the straight approaching turn 12, Car 55 [Sainz] was on the racing line and braked early as Car 3 [Verstappen] approached from behind on a push lap,” the stewards verdict read. 

"Car 3 had to move to the right to avoid a collision. Team radio recorded the engineer having warned the driver of Car 55 of Car 3’s approach more than once but the driver of Car 55 explained that the cable to his radio was disconnected and hence he did not hear those messages. He said that he was preparing for a push lap and braked earlier for turn 12 to warm his brakes. 

"The driver of Car 3 said he was surprised to find Car 55 travelling so slowly on the line but he did not consider the incident to be dangerous. 

"The Stewards acknowledged that the driver of Car 55 was experiencing radio problems which explained why he did not hear the warning of Car 3’s approach. 

"However, in circumstances where the driver was without the benefit of warnings from the team, he ought not to have been preparing his brakes on the racing line and, by doing so, he hindered Car 3. 

"As the incident occurred during Free Practice and did not in fact endanger the driver of Car 3, the Stewards determined to impose a warning.”

Verstappen, meanwhile, has had no further action taken against him after he appeared to slam on the brakes in response after passing Sainz.

“On the approach to turn 12, Car 3 had to move off the racing line to avoid Car 55 which had slowed unexpectedly on the racing line,” the stewards explained. 

"The Driver of Car 3 then slowed significantly at turn 12 and gesticulated to the driver of Car 55 to mark his frustration that he had been impeded by Car 55. 

"The driver of Car 55 then overtook Car 3. The driver of Car 55 said that he was not in any way affected by Car 3 slowing at turn 12. No other car was affected. 

"The Stewards therefore determined to take no further action."

The stewards decided to take no further action against Sainz over a second charge for the same offence against Alpine’s Paul Aron later in the session. 

"On the approach to Turn 9, the driver was on a low fuel push lap and was affected by the actions of the driver of Car 61 [Aron]. He overtook Car 61 and then slowed through, and at the exit of, turn 9, aborting his lap,” they said. 

"The driver of Car 61 then overtook Car 55 [Sainz] at turn 10. The driver of Car 55 denied that by slowing through and after turn 9, he was driving erratically. 

"He said that his lap was compromised before turn 9 and he was merely following the usual racing line through turn 9 and aborted the lap at the exit. The Stewards accepted this explanation and determined to take no further action."