Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been hit with a five-place penalty for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the FIA has confirmed.
The Spaniard drops out of the top 10 after scoring a strong result with his upgraded Williams.
FIA punish Carlos Sainz for F1 qualifying error
Sainz will start from 14th place on the Baku grid after being penalised by the FIA for ignoring yellow flags in Q3.
In order to avoid sanction, drivers must demonstrate that they lifted off when going through the affected zone. This is different to when double-waved yellows are displayed, where a driver must abort their effort.
In the official FIA document, it is explained that the affected area was the straight between Turns 2 and 3.
Despite being warned by his team about the yellow flags, Sainz elected to lift when “approaching and exiting Turn 3”, something he described as a “global lift.”
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The Williams driver also explained that the car in question was not even in the runoff when he approached, leading him to expect that the yellow flags would no longer be on display.
Although the flags were shown in sectors four and five, Sainz in fact recorded his fastest time through sector four in this instance.
Viewing there to be no mitigating factors, Sainz was handed the standard punishment of a five-place grid drop.
The full stewards’ verdict read: “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 55 (Carlos Sainz), team representative and reviewed video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence.
“Single Yellow Flags were displayed in Marshalling Sectors 4 and 5, in particular after Turn 2 and on the approach to Turn 3.
“The Yellow indications were clearly visible and SAI had also received a radio warning from the Team: ‘Yellow ahead, lift.’
“SAI confirmed at the hearing that he was aware of the Yellow Flag situation.
“SAI explained that he intended to demonstrate a reduction in speed across the Yellow area as a whole.
“He stated that he did not consider it necessary to reduce speed on the straight and instead intended to demonstrate his response when approaching and exiting Turn 3.
“He considered this to be a “global lift” covering the consecutive Yellow sectors.
“He further explained that the car which had originally caused the Yellow was no longer in the run-off area and that he expected the Yellow Flags to be withdrawn.
“The Stewards did not accept this interpretation.
“Where consecutive marshalling sectors are subject to Yellow Flag conditions, a driver must demonstrate a significant reaction to reduce speed in each individual Yellow marshalling sector.
“A reduction in a subsequent sector cannot retrospectively satisfy the requirement applicable to the preceding Yellow sector.
“The obligation is also not dependent on the driver’s own assessment of whether the original hazard remains present within a particular part of the Yellow sector.
“The telemetry clearly showed that SAI’s reaction to the Yellow occurred only in Marshalling Sector 5.
“There was no meaningful reduction in speed in Marshalling Sector 4 which could realistically be attributed to a response to the Yellow.
“Indeed, SAI recorded his fastest time of the session in Marshalling Sector 4.
“The Stewards therefore did not accept that the subsequent lift in Marshalling Sector 5 constituted a sufficient “global” response covering both sectors.
“This is distinguishable from cases where the telemetry demonstrates a significant response to the Yellow even though the overall sector time reduction is relatively small.
“In the present case, SAI was aware of the Yellow, had received an explicit warning from the Team, the Yellow indications were clearly visible and the telemetry established that he did not demonstrate the required reaction in Marshalling Sector 4.
“The Stewards therefore determine that SAI failed to sufficiently reduce speed under the Single Yellow Flag in Marshalling Sector 4.
“The standard penalty under the Penalty Guidelines for this infringement during Qualifying is a drop of 5 grid positions.”
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