The Spaniard was penalized after the British GP for incorrectly overtaking the Safety Car. Williams did not realize that Sainz was not one of the cars authorized to unlap themselves.
Carlos Sainz has received an unusual one lap penalty after the British Grand Prix for a Safety Car infringement, a sanction that has cost him five positions in the final classification, dropping from twelfth to seventeenth place.
The Williams driver was one of several drivers who took advantage of the final lap under the Safety Car to unlap themselves, but the stewards determined that he was not entitled to do so.
The Silverstone F1 Grand Prix race ended under the Safety Car after Max Verstappen (Red Bull) went off track at Stowe corner on lap 48. On the penultimate lap, the lapped drivers were given permission to overtake the Safety Car and rejoin at the back of the pack according to the regulations, and Sainz was one of several drivers who completed the procedure. However, after the race it was noted that the Williams driver had unlapped himself incorrectly because he was not entitled to do so under Article B5.13.4c of the FIA Sporting Regulations.
The stewards acknowledged that Carlos Sainz was lapped when he entered the pit lane, but due to the specific layout of the Silverstone track he had temporarily unlapped himself when crossing the line at the end of the lap: "Given the exceptional track configuration at this event, the stewards understand how the sequence of events may have contributed to the team's confusion" noted the stewards' document.
However, the stewards also noted that the team did not realize that Sainz was not a lapped car at the relevant reference point and that the Spaniard was not included in Race Control's message identifying the cars authorized to overtake the Safety Car. As a result, Sainz received a one lap penalty, one of the penalties available under the FIA International Sporting Code.
The penalty is especially painful for Sainz because it cost him a position in the final classification that could have been valuable for Williams in the fight for the constructors' championship. The British team has 19 points so far this season and any point is important to climb positions in the table.
Sainz's penalty is a reminder of the complexity of Safety Car procedures and the importance of paying attention to Race Control communications. Teams must be aware of official messages to avoid mistakes like Williams' at Silverstone.
Carlos Sainz hopes that the team will learn from this mistake and not repeat it in the future.
