F1 Star Furious Over 'Unacceptable' Penalty Call
Carlos Sainz has launched a scathing attack on Formula 1's current racing guidelines, demanding an urgent summit with series bosses ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Williams driver expressed his fury over what he described as an 'unacceptable' penalty given to McLaren's Oscar Piastri during the Brazilian Grand Prix, which has significantly impacted the Australian's championship ambitions.
The Controversial Clash in Brazil
The incident that sparked Sainz's outrage occurred during the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Piastri found himself running fourth behind Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc following an early safety car period. Sensing an opportunity, the Australian attempted a bold three-wide overtake on the inside of Turn One.
The move turned disastrous when Mercedes driver Antonelli opted for an early turn-in, resulting in contact that ricocheted his car into the side of Leclerc's Ferrari. The Monegasque driver suffered terminal damage and was forced to retire, while the stewards investigated the incident and subsequently handed Piastri a 10-second time penalty.
This decision dropped Piastri down the field, though he managed to recover to finish fifth. The penalty has proven costly for his Drivers' Championship title bid, leaving him with a 24-point deficit to overcome in the season's final triple header.
'Far From Where The Sport Should Be'
Speaking ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sainz didn't mince his words when discussing the stewards' decision. "I think we need urgently a catch-up and try and solve it because for me the fact that Oscar got a penalty there in Brazil is unacceptable, honestly, for the category that we are in and being the pinnacle of motorsport," the Spaniard stated.
When pressed to elaborate, Sainz remained firm, suggesting the racing incident spoke for itself. "I'm not going to explain why, I think you all guys saw what happened. I think everyone that has seen racing knows that that is not Oscar's fault at all. Everyone else who has really raced a race car knows he could have done nothing to avoid an accident there."
The Williams driver highlighted several other penalties that have frustrated him since the summer break, including his own 10-second penalty for contact with Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson at Zandvoort in August, and subsequent incidents at Monza and Austin.
"It's, for me, it's something that I don't understand," Sainz continued. "I didn't understand my Zandvoort penalty. I didn't understand why Ollie got a penalty when we both collided in Monza. He was not deserving of that penalty, and I told him straight out of the race, I didn't understand how I caught a 10-second penalty in Austin. And then the Brazil situation, so there's been not one but multiple incidents this year that are, for me, are far, far from where the sport should be."
As the championship reaches its climax, Piastri faces an uphill battle to catch rival Norris, who is chasing his third successive race win in Las Vegas. The Australian has failed to score a podium in each of his last five Grand Prix starts, making his title challenge increasingly difficult against his in-form teammate.
