Sainz vows GPDA push after ‘unacceptable’ Zandvoort penalty: “It’s very concerning”
Carlos Sainz left Zandvoort angrier than he’s sounded in a long time — and with a promise to do something about it.
Handed a 10-second time penalty and two licence points for a Turn 1 clash with Liam Lawson after a Safety Car restart at the Dutch Grand Prix, the Williams driver called the decision “unacceptable” and said he’ll raise it formally in his role as a GPDA director.
The incident came as the race went green at the end of a Safety Car period. Sainz launched his Williams into Tarzan, dicing with Lawson for position. The two touched mid-corner. What many in the paddock viewed as a racing tangle was ruled differently by the stewards, who deemed Sainz “wholly or predominantly to blame” and hit him with a 10s penalty that dented his afternoon.
Even before the chequered flag, Sainz was incredulous on the radio. After climbing out of the car, the 31-year-old made clear he wanted answers — and more than that, change.
“Honestly, I need to go now to the stewards just to get an explanation,” he told reporters. “To see what is their point of view of the incident. Because it’s unacceptable. I think it’s not the level of stewarding that Formula 1 is, if they are really considering that to be a 10-second penalty.
“On my behalf, I think it is a serious matter now that concerns me as a driver, as a GPDA director, and something that I will make sure I raise.”
Sainz did attempt to speak to the panel right after the race but was asked to return later, with multiple other investigations still being processed. That only heightened his frustration.
“It’s something that is very concerning,” he added. “I’m talking as calmly and eloquently as I can… but what I’ve seen today and what I’ve suffered today is something that concerns me. For myself, but for the other drivers and for motorsport in general, if they really think this is how a penalty should be applied to the guy that is around the outside.”
The flare-up also carried a personal edge. Sainz took a swipe at Lawson’s racecraft, suggesting these flashpoints “always seem” to involve the New Zealander. Lawson, for his part, brushed off the criticism post-race, saying Sainz can “make all the comments in the world” — and that he disagreed with the Spaniard’s view of the move.
Strip away the heat, and this is the same old headache: consistency. Zandvoort’s Turn 1 funnels cars into a narrow window of options, especially on restarts, and the line between assertive and overzealous can be paper-thin. But the broader grievance from drivers is familiar — comparable incidents drawing different punishments, or none at all, depending on the afternoon and the panel.
That’s why Sainz’s comments matter beyond one bruising Sunday. As a GPDA director alongside George Russell, he’s positioned to push for clearer guidelines and firmer precedent-setting on these wheel-to-wheel calls. Whether that’s through more prescriptive overtaking frameworks, greater transparency from the stewards, or post-race debriefs that actually move the needle, drivers want to know where the line is — before a penalty swings their race.
For Williams, the penalty and the two licence points were an unwanted coda to a weekend that had promised more. For Sainz, it’s now a line in the sand. Expect follow-up in the coming days and, if he has his way, a livelier debate behind closed doors — and maybe a sturdier standard in black and white.
