Carlos Sainz loses his temper at the Dutch Grand Prix after receiving a ten-second penalty for an incident involving Liam Lawson: Race director in the wrong
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has sharply criticized the race stewards after the Dutch Grand Prix. The Spaniard described his ten-second penalty and two penalty points as a “complete joke” after colliding with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson at the restart following Lewis Hamilton’s accident. Approaching turn one, Sainz was on the outside and Lawson on the inside—their wheels touched, causing the Williams to suffer a puncture.
For the stewards, the case was clear: “The front wheel of car 55 [Sainz] was not ahead of car 30 [Lawson] at the apex. Car 55 tried to stay on the outside, and a collision occurred. We assessed that car 30 had the right to the corner and that car 55 was mainly at fault.“
Sainz, however, sees it completely differently, and this was already evident during the race on the radio. Immediately after the contact, the Spaniard reported on the radio: ”He’s just so stupid. Oh my God. This guy, it’s always the same guy!“
When his race engineer finally informs him of the penalty, Sainz can’t believe his ears: ”Who? Who’s getting the penalty? Me?“ Sainz asks in amazement over the radio. ”You’re getting it,“ confirms his Williams team, whereupon Sainz can’t contain himself: ”Are you kidding me? You must be joking! That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life!“
Sainz: Zandvoort allows duels – just not with Lawson
Even after the race, Sainz is unrelenting in his interviews: ”Firstly, the situation was very clear,” explains the 30-year-old. “We’ve seen countless times here that two cars can come through turn one side by side without contact. It’s a corner that allows for exactly that. But with Liam, it always seems to be difficult. He’d rather seek contact and risk a crash or tire damage than simply let two cars drive side by side.”
Sainz is particularly incensed by the penalty against him: “And then I get ten seconds? That’s a complete joke. I’m going to go to the stewards now to get an explanation. That’s not the level of race management that Formula 1 needs. As a driver, as GPDA director – this is a serious issue that I will address.”
He didn’t even attack Lawson aggressively: “I didn’t want to overtake him on the outside. I just gave him space to get him out of position a little for turns two and three. Then suddenly there was contact, completely unexpected. Another race where I could easily have finished fifth and scored ten points – and again it slips through my fingers.”
Lawson counters: Just a risky maneuver
Liam Lawson is also frustrated—but about Sainz’s public accusations. “Sure, he’s not happy. Neither am I. My race was ruined. But we all know the rules, and that’s how they’re written. I’ve already received penalties this year because I thought I should be given more space. It was similar here – it was a restart, cold tires, very slippery. He goes wide, we touch. Risky, but that’s racing.”
Lawson is particularly bothered by the fact that Sainz spoke openly to the media: “He can make as many comments as he wants. I would have preferred him to come to me directly instead of telling everyone. But in the end, if it had been my fault, I would have received the penalty. It’s as simple as that.”
Sainz announces repercussions
Williams teammate Alexander Albon backs Sainz. The Thai driver, who was right behind the two in the duel, was clear in his words: “For me, it was pretty clear, Liam. In the middle of the corner, he just opened up the steering wheel and pushed Carlos out. Where was Carlos supposed to go? For me, it was the wrong decision.“
Albon also calls for at least a retrospective investigation in unclear situations: ”If you’re not sure, then you should look at it after the race. But this was just wrong.”
Sainz remains frustrated – not only about the lost championship points, but also about the signal it sends. “If the race organizers really believe that you get a penalty for something like this, then it affects not only me, but the whole of Formula 1. It’s dangerous for the way we race. I want answers—and I’m going to get them.”
