Carlos Sainz discovers F1 penalty verdict as Williams release statement following summit

The FIA have agreed to rescind Carlos Sainz's controversial penalty from the Dutch Grand Prix. Williams star Sainz, 31, was punished after making contact with Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson during an incident in Zandvoort last month, as both drivers suffered punctures.

Stewards decided to slap Sainz with a 10-second time penalty as well as giving him two penalty points on his FIA license, sparking debate both during and after the Grand Prix. The Spaniard finished P13, labelling the decision a 'complete joke'.

Although nothing could be done about his time penalty, Williams confirmed on September 4 that they were in the process of challenging Sainz's punishment with the intention of overturning the two penalty points. Representatives from Williams and Racing Bulls met with Zandvoort stewards on Friday in a virtual hearing and a decision was announced on Saturday.

The decision read: "The Stewards are satisfied that the collision was caused by a momentary loss of control by Car 30 (Lawson).

"However, in the Stewards' assessment, no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for that collision. Car 55 (Sainz) contributed to the incident by taking the risk to drive close to, and on the outside of, Car 30 when Car 55 had no right to room there and there was a real possibility that, if the collision had not occurred where it did, Car 55 would run out of track at the exit and/or a collision would have occurred at the exit for which the Driver of Car 55 would likely be predominantly if not wholly to blame."

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Williams issued a statement of their own, saying: "We are grateful to the stewards for reviewing Carlos' Zandvoort penalty and are pleased they have now decided he was not at fault and that this was a racing incident.

"While it is frustrating that our race was compromised by the original decision, mistakes are part of motor racing and we will continue to work constructively with the FIA to improve stewarding processes and review the racing rules for the future."

Did the FIA make the right decision? Have your say in the comments section.

The team are now fully focussed on next weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Williams are currently 'best of the rest' in the race to win the 2025 Constructors' Championship.

Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon have combined for 86 points, only bettered by the 'big four' of Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and reigning champions McLaren. Worringly for Sainz, who was dumped by Ferrari at the end of last year in favour of Lewis Hamilton, Albon has collected 70 of those.

The race in Baku next Sunday signals the start of Formula 1's autumn period, with no more Grands Prix in Europe for the remainder of the year.