On Friday, the FIA held a hearing regarding Carlos Sainz, initiated by Williams. The Spanish driver had previously been penalized for a collision with Liam Lawson at the Dutch Grand Prix, receiving a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his Super Licence.
Following a review, the decision was amended: while the race classification could not be altered, the penalty points were removed. The stewards reclassified the incident as a racing occurrence, noting that Lawson’s car suddenly lost control and that Sainz, although taking a risk,was not principally responsible.
Williams submitted new evidence, including footage from Sainz’s onboard cameras, which convinced the stewards to withdraw part of the sanction.
The team welcomed the outcome: “We are pleased that the FIA recognized the incident as a racing occurrence and cleared Carlos of fault. Although the initial decision affected our race, it is important that the process can be improved, and we are committed to working with the federation to enhance fairness in the future.”
