The Williams Formula 1 team’s case for challenging Carlos Sainz’s Dutch Grand Prix penalty will be assessed by the FIA on Friday this week.
Sainz was given a 10-second penalty for contact with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls at Zandvoort, in an incident that gave Lawson a puncture and Sainz front wing damage.
The penalty cannot be rescinded as it was served in a pitstop rather than being added to Sainz’s race time, so the outcome will not affect his 13th place finish.
Sainz talked to the Zandvoort stewards about their decision after the race, and said at Monza last weekend that he’d got the impression they regretted penalising him.
“As soon as they caught all the evidence, and they looked at the places that they would have needed to look at to take the right decision, it was very clear to me that I think they realised that probably the decision taken wasn't the best one,” he said.
“Now we are trying to see if we can come up with enough evidence and enough stuff to realise if we can change the outcome of the penalty, because I still firmly believe it was a very poor penalty that I received and a bad judgment.
“If there's been a misunderstanding or a lack of evidence or a lack of analysis, then there is still time to reanalyse it, to reopen it and change it.”
Teams need to provide new evidence unavailable at the time of the original decision in order to successfully get a stewards’ decision reviewed.
The Race understands that one of the key factors was that Lawson was correcting a slide mid-corner that put him on a different trajectory.
It is not clear if the FIA stewards were aware of this at the time, as some of the onboard cameras are not available until they have been downloaded post-race.
Williams and Racing Bulls representatives will have an online meeting with the FIA on the afternoon of Friday September 12 at 2.30pm UK time, that will initially consider whether there is enough new and significant evidence to justify proceeding with the review process.
If it’s ruled admissible, the review will take place soon afterwards, with Lawson and a Racing Bulls representative will be required to also report to the stewards.
Any other "concerned party" may seek the permission of the stewards to appear at the hearing.
The Race understands one of the things Williams and Sainz want over turned is the two penalty points he picked up for the incident.
