Williams reveals 'frustration' as FIA admits blunder in Carlos Sainz penalty ruling

Williams Racing has issued a statement after the FIA admitted its mistake in penalizing Carlos Sainz at the Dutch Grand Prix. The incident in focus was the contact between the Spaniard and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson during a lap 26 restart at Zandvoort on August 31.

When Sainz attempted to overtake Lawson on the outside of the banked Turn 1, the two drivers collided, leaving both cars with punctures. The stewards found the Williams driver guilty of causing the collision and slapped him with a 10-second penalty, which he thought was a "complete joke."

Ahead of the Italian GP, Williams lodged a petition for a right of review into the incident, which saw Sainz finishing in P13 and leaving Zandvoort without points. The FIA set Friday, September 12, as the date for Williams, Racing Bulls, and the Dutch GP stewards to convene and investigate the matter.

After Williams presented new evidence, the stewards found that Carlos Sainz wasn't at fault for what they termed a racing incident. However, the 10-second penalty wasn't withdrawn because the 31-year-old finished 17 seconds behind the driver ahead of him (Lawson), essentially making the removal of the penalty inconsequential. However, the stewards revoked the two penalty points on his super licence.

Williams put out a statement after the FIA's new ruling, which read:

"We are grateful to the stewards for reviewing Carlos' Zandvoort penalty and are pleased they have now decided he was not at fault and that this was a racing incident. While it is frustrating that our race was compromised by the original decision, mistakes are part of motor racing, and we will continue to work constructively with the FIA to improve stewarding processes and review the racing rules for the future."

Carlos Sainz had wholly blamed Liam Lawson for the incident in the post-Dutch GP interviews. However, the Racing Bulls rookie had stated that the penalty for the Williams driver was warranted. Eventually, both drivers finished out of the points in the race that Oscar Piastri won.

Carlos Sainz's Italian GP destroyed after collision with Oliver Bearman

Oliver Bearman with Carlos Sainz at the F1 Italian Grand Prix 2025 - Source: Getty

Carlos Sainz had two collisions in two consecutive race weekends that saw him finish out of the points. A week after the Dutch Grand Prix, the Spaniard saw a potential points finish at the Italian GP get out of his hands after a collision with Haas driver Oliver Bearman.

Sainz's Monza incident was similar to his Dutch GP incident with Liam Lawson. The Williams driver attempted to overtake Bearman on the outside of Turn 4, a left-hander. However, he braked very late and made a sharp left at the corner, with Bearman having nowhere to go on the inside. The two made contact and spun in unison.

Though many fans and analysts, including Nico Rosberg, felt that Carlos Sainz was at fault, the stewards gave Oliver Bearman a 10-second penalty because they judged the corner to be Sainz's, who was marginally ahead of the Haas rookie going into the corner. The race ended with Sainz finishing in P11 and Bearman one place behind him in P12.

For Sainz, his first season with Williams is proving to be more challenging than he expected. After the Italian GP, the former Ferrari driver admitted that the Williams FW47 isn't a car he enjoys driving.