Carlos Sainz endured another frustrating weekend at Silverstone after the FIA handed the Williams driver a rare post-race penalty following an unusual safety car incident during the closing stages of the British Grand Prix.
Williams once again left the British Grand Prix without scoring any championship points despite having two opportunities across the sprint race and the main event. Sainz and teammate Alex Albon struggled throughout the weekend, with both drivers finishing outside the points in the sprint. Albon’s race on Sunday ended prematurely after suffering further issues with his car, while Sainz crossed the finish line in 12th place.
However, the Spaniard’s result did not stand. Following an investigation by the FIA race stewards, Sainz was issued a one-lap penalty for incorrectly overtaking the safety car during a confusing sequence of events late in the race.
The race finished under safety car conditions after a late crash involving Max Verstappen, who spun into the gravel at Stowe Corner. During the safety car period, confusion arose because of Silverstone’s unique pit exit configuration. Sainz had briefly unlapped himself after making a pit stop just before the safety car picked up the field.
When race control later instructed specific lapped cars to pass the safety car, Sainz also drove past it despite his car number not being included on the official list of vehicles permitted to do so. The misunderstanding was reportedly influenced by communication errors from the Williams pit wall.
During the stewards’ hearing, Williams admitted the team had made two key mistakes. Officials acknowledged that the team failed to recognise Sainz’s race status at the relevant moment and also overlooked the race control message that clearly identified which drivers were authorised to overtake the safety car.
As a result, the FIA concluded that Sainz had gained a lap he was not entitled to receive. The penalty proved particularly severe because the field remained tightly packed behind the safety car until the chequered flag. Instead of retaining 12th place, Sainz was dropped five positions to 17th in the final classification.
Although the stewards accepted that Silverstone’s unusual circuit layout contributed to the confusion, they maintained that the regulations had been breached and that the penalty was appropriate. The decision capped off another disappointing weekend for Williams, with the team leaving Silverstone empty-handed and still searching for improved results as the Formula 1 season continues.
