Williams successfully attempted to get the stewards to withdraw the penalty awarded to Carlos Sainz for clashing with Liam Lawson at this year’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Sainz was originally given a 10-second penalty and two penalty points on the license to cause a conflict with Lawson. Because both drivers picked up a puncture when they touched the left rear of Lawson near the exit of Zandvoort’s Turn 1. Sainz said he would speak up about the punishment after team radio and races and then try to talk to the stewards.
At the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, Williams had to confirm that he had filed a request for the right to consider the case and proved that there was new, relevant and important evidence to reevaluate the penalty.
Williams could provide the Lawson camera angle backwards, which was not available at the time of the decision, so Stewards took place on Friday, and was filled to accept the threshold and confirm the penalty. These angles were deemed new, relevant and important.
Steward dismissed the fact that sign’s testimony also serves as a threshold satisfying element, “Steward has the authority and authority to issue decisions in sessions without listening from the driver,” and that the driver’s perspective does not substantially add an assessment of the incident above the available video evidence. However, due to the camera angle, the review process was carried out.
During the next penalty hearing, Williams argued that the collision should be considered a race incident as Lawson caught a snap midcorner that led to contact. The report states that a representative for Williams said “we struggled to make it clear that the driver of the car 30 (Lawson) had not suggested that he should be punished, but the only thing the penalty for the car 55 (Sainz) was unfair.”
In retracting the penalty, the steward explained that the new camera angle satisfies the collision caused by Lawson’s instantaneous loss of control.
“But in Steward’s assessment, no driver would blame the collision,” Steward added. “Car 55 contributed to the incident by taking the risk of driving close to car 55 if the car 55 had no right to go to the room there and no collision occurred, if the car 55 was not on track at the exit, if the collision occurred, if the collision occurred, if the collision occurred, if the collision occurred.
The 10-second penalty handed to Signs was not able to be erased as it was offered during the race, but it ended 17 seconds behind the next car, making it hardly impactful. However, the two penalty points that Sainz was given were revoked.
“We are grateful to the Steward for reviewing Carlos’ Zandvoort’s penalty and are pleased that he determined that this was a race incident, not a fault,” Williams’ statement read. “It’s frustrating that our race was compromised by our original decision, but the mistakes are part of motor racing and we will continue to work constructively with the FIA to improve the steward process and review future race rules.”