Carlos Sainz and Williams aiming to overturn FIA's "injustice" after Dutch GP controversy

Carlos Sainz has revealed that he and Williams are looking to correct the FIA's "injustice" from the Dutch Grand Prix, where he was given a 10-second penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson. After the race, he had bluntly criticized Lawson's aggressive racecraft and called the stewards' penalty "a complete joke."

The incident took place on the lap 26 restart, when Sainz tried to overtake Lawson on the outside of the banked Turn 1. However, they made contact, leaving both cars with punctures and a finish outside the Top 10. The stewards found Carlos Sainz guilty of causing the collision, but the Williams driver blamed it on his Racing Bulls rival, who thought the penalty was justified.

In the post-race media pen at Zandvoort, Sainz was in disbelief, as he shared that the stewards declined a request to meet him and discuss the penalty. However, it seems that Williams has gotten their point across with additional evidence. During media day ahead of the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, the 31-year-old revealed that the FIA has admitted its mistake.

"When they saw the evidence, which I think they hadn't seen, of why I had nothing to do with the accident or why it had been a racing incident, they came to their senses. And now we're seeing what we can do as a team to correct the injustice. As a category, it's what we have to improve," Carlos Sainz said via Soymotor.

Williams Team Principal James Vowles had also called out the FIA's 10-second penalty for his driver, calling the collision "a racing incident." Sainz eventually finished the Dutch Grand Prix without earning any points in P13, with Liam Lawson ahead of him in P12.

Poor streak with Williams getting "exhausting" for Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz at the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Monza - Previews - Source: Getty

Ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz admitted that his poor run of results in his first year with Williams was taking a toll on him. The Spaniard has heavily underperformed compared to teammate Alex Albon, who has four times more points in the standings, 64, to Sainz's 16.

Sainz has finished eight of 15 races outside the points, with a best result of P8 at the Saudi Arabian GP. During the Thursday press conference at Monza, the six-time Grand Prix winner candidly spoke about this underwhelming streak.

"It's starting to get exhausting for my season and for me mentally to accept so many weekends where I go fast, have a good qualifying, show good race pace, it seems like I'm going to get a good result, and then something happens. I keep insisting that the speed is there," he said via Soymotor.

The Dutch GP was a prime example of misfortune ruining a points-scoring chance for Carlos Sainz, especially after he out-qualified Albon to start ninth on the grid. However, Williams could see a resurgence at the Italian Grand Prix, with its challenger suited to the high-speed Monza circuit.

It is the first time in five years that Sainz will not be a home hero at Monza, having departed Ferrari after a four-year stint.