Carlos Sainz is in trouble. The Williams driver got a penalty after qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. He’ll start three positions back on the grid.
Sainz qualified 12th, but now he’s 15th. This happened because he blocked Lewis Hamilton during Q2. Hamilton was about to start his fast lap when Sainz slowed down in front of him. Sainz didn’t see Hamilton coming and couldn’t get out of the way in time.
What happened
Sainz had just finished his own fast lap. Hamilton was starting his. Sainz didn’t speed up, so Hamilton had to abort his lap to avoid a crash. The rules say Sainz should have gotten out of the way. His team had 8 seconds to warn him that Hamilton was coming. They didn’t, so Sainz got a penalty.
Twitter reaction
Carlos Sainz is hit with a penalty for the Japanese Grand Prix #F1 #JapaneseGP https://t.co/hXiFhvPBVm
— Formula 1 (@F1)
Carlos Sainz has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/4kBmfW3lMJ
— Formula 1 (@F1)
This penalty moves other drivers up the grid. Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda each gain one position. Sainz says he didn’t see Hamilton and didn’t get a warning from his team. But the rules are clear: if you’re slow on the track, you need to let faster cars pass. Sainz didn’t, so now he’s paying the price.