Sainz hit with five-place grid penalty for Azerbaijan GP after yellow flag breach in qualifying

Sainz drops from P9 to P14 after stewards rule on yellow flag breach

Carlos Sainz has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after the stewards found he failed to slow for yellow flags during Qualifying at the Baku City Circuit.

The Spaniard had reached Q3 in the heavily upgraded Williams and qualified ninth, but the result was struck down after a review of his lap in the final qualifying session.

After hearing from Sainz and a Williams representative and reviewing available data, the stewards concluded he broke the rules. The penalty drops him from P9 to P14, promoting Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, Liam Lawson, team-mate Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon.

Stewards’ findings

"Single yellow flags were displayed in Marshalling Sectors 4 and 5, in particular after Turn 2 and on the approach to Turn 3," read the stewards’ decision document, with Lando Norris going off track ahead of Sainz during Q3.

"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."

The stewards rejected that 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."

Telemetry showed Sainz’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 document stated.

"The stewards therefore did not accept that the subsequent lift in Marshalling Sector 5 constituted a sufficient ‘global’ response covering both sectors."

Penalty points

Sainz was also handed two penalty points, taking his 12-month total to four under F1’s penalty regulations. The standard penalty under the Penalty Guidelines for an infringement during Qualifying is a drop of five grid positions.