Formula 1

Ferrari petitions FIA for review of Sainz penalty

Published

2 months ago

07/04/2023

Ferrari challenges Sainz penalty F1 2023 australian gp

Ferrari is seeking a review of the penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz during the Australian Grand Prix. Sainz was given a five-second time penalty for hitting and spinning Fernando Alonso during a chaotic restart following a red flag.

Ferrari has requested that the FIA, the governing body of Formula 1, conducts a review of the penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz during the Australian Grand Prix. Sainz was penalized with a five-second time penalty in Melbourne due to his involvement in hitting and spinning Fernando Alonso during a tumultuous restart following a red flag.

Due to the chaotic restart that resulted in another red flag with only two laps remaining, the race concluded after just one outlap behind the safety car. This compression of the field made Carlos Sainz’s five-second penalty especially harsh.

As a result of the penalty, Carlos Sainz’s position dropped from fourth place to 12th, causing Ferrari to end up without any points for the race. This was compounded by Charles Leclerc’s crash on the opening lap.

Carlos Sainz was very displeased with the penalty given to him, as it was issued before the race had ended, allowing him the opportunity to present his argument before the stewards.

On Thursday, Ferrari filed a petition to exercise their right of review, and team principal Vasseur expressed his desire to have an “open discussion with them”. Vasseur highlighted that Carlos Sainz’s frustration stemmed from the fact that he was unable to present his case during the hearing, which was a unique and challenging situation.

Ferrari petitions FIA for review of Sainz penalty

Vasseur noted that in this instance, it would have been reasonable to consider Sainz’s argument since the competitive part of the race had concluded, and the penalty would not have impacted the podium positions.

In contrast, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who were involved in a crash during the same restart, were summoned for a hearing, but the stewards decided not to impose any penalty on either driver.

Typically, the FIA waits to hear from drivers involved in a collision who have retired from the grand prix, as imposing an in-race penalty in such a situation would not materially affect the outcome of the race.

Interestingly, the stewards did not initiate a formal investigation into another incident that occurred during the chaotic restart, when Logan Sargeant collided with Nyck de Vries, causing both cars to retire from the race.

Ferrari has cited these inconsistencies as the reason for their right of review petition, with Vasseur noting that it is crucial for the benefit of the sport to prevent having multiple cases related to the same incident with differing decisions.

For Ferrari to obtain the review, they must provide evidence that was not accessible to the stewards at the time of the initial decision. This is a crucial criterion for utilizing the right of review mechanism.

If the stewards determine that Ferrari’s evidence is sufficient, they will schedule another hearing to review the case. During this hearing, the new evidence presented by Ferrari will be examined, and a decision will be made regarding the penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz during the Australian Grand Prix.

Vasseur declined to reveal any details about the ongoing discussion with the FIA, stating that he would not like to disclose any information at this stage. However, he did note that there were differences in how the stewards handled incidents involving Gasly and Ocon and the incident involving Sargeant and De Vries at Turn 1. Nevertheless, Vasseur chose not to comment further on the matter.

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