Carlos Sainz Demands Urgent FIA Meeting After "Unacceptable" Piastri Penalty

Carlos Sainz has called for an "urgent" meeting between F1 drivers and the FIA, citing the "unacceptable" 10-second penalty issued to McLaren's Oscar Piastri in Brazil as the latest in a series of inconsistent stewarding decisions. The Ferrari driver argues that current penalty applications are flawed and need immediate review.

Why it matters:

Inconsistent stewarding has been a recurring point of contention in Formula 1, directly impacting race outcomes and championship standings. Carlos Sainz's call for an urgent meeting highlights growing frustration among drivers regarding the subjective application of rules, which undermines fairness and predictability in racing.

The details:

• Piastri's Penalty: Oscar Piastri received a 10-second penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix for allegedly causing a collision with Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 during a restart. This incident subsequently led to Charles Leclerc's retirement from the race.
• Sainz's View: Sainz firmly believes Piastri's penalty was "unacceptable" and that the McLaren driver could have done nothing to avoid the collision. He stressed that anyone who understands racing would recognize it wasn't Piastri's fault.
• Pattern of Inconsistency: Sainz pointed to several other incidents this season where he felt penalties were misapplied:
  • His own penalty at Zandvoort for a collision with Liam Lawson (later overturned).
  • Oliver Bearman's penalty for colliding with Sainz in Monza, which Sainz deemed undeserved.
  • His own 10-second penalty in Austin for contact with Antonelli.
• Driving Standards Guidelines: A meeting between drivers and the FIA is anticipated in Qatar to discuss penalty applications. Last season, the infamous Driving Standards Guidelines were updated, with the revised version made public before the Austrian Grand Prix.
• Critique of Guidelines: Sainz questioned whether stewards should treat these guidelines as definitive rules or as flexible frameworks. He suggested that the current interpretation makes it less likely for incidents to be classified as "racing incidents," often attributing fault where none truly exists.
• Lock-up Misinterpretation: Sainz also highlighted that lock-ups are often immediately interpreted by stewards as a loss of control, even though a driver can lock up and still make the apex. He cited his own and Piastri's lock-ups as reactive maneuvers, not indicators of being out of control.

What's next:

The discussions in Qatar will be critical. Sainz suggested that consistent stewarding, potentially through a fixed panel of stewards who truly understand racing, could foster a better understanding between drivers and officials, possibly reducing the need for overly rigid guidelines. The outcome of these discussions could lead to significant changes in how F1 penalties are judged, aiming for greater fairness and consistency on track.