The race stewards at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix have detailed the reasons behind their milder treatment of Carlos Sainz, handing him a mere five-second penalty for his crash with Oscar Piastri.
During the early portion of the Budapest event, the race-leading Piastri was almost taken out by Sainz on the 38th lap as the McLaren driver attempted to lap the Spaniard. Despite the near-disaster, the Williams driver was given just a five-second sanction, which officials justified by citing a mitigating circumstance.
Alongside difficulties with the blue flag system—which left drivers without distinct signaling throughout the event—stewards noted that Piastri “was out of sight” in Sainz’s mirrors right before they touched, as the Australian tried to overtake the Williams car at Turn 3.
By taking this extenuating detail into consideration, the officials decided against handing down the customary 10-second punishment for causing an accident, opting instead for a lesser five-second penalty for Sainz.
Even though Piastri managed to keep running without any major damage from the collision, the moment ultimately played a role in him dropping out of the lead behind Lando Norris.
“During Lap 38, while nearing Turn 3, Car 55 [Sainz] was in the middle of a fight with Car 14 [Fernando Alonso],” the official report read. “The operator of Car 55 had been alerted by his team that blue flags were waving due to the arrival of Car 81 [Piastri]. When Car 81 went for the overtake, a collision occurred between Cars 55 and 81.”
Oscar Piastri driving for McLaren
Image credits: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“The Stewards ruled that the competitor in Car 55 was entirely to blame for the crash with Car 81. Although the typical consequence for causing such an incident is a 10-second time penalty, the Stewards recognized an extenuating circumstance.
“When the contact happened, the angle of Car 55 on the track and surrounding vehicles meant that Car 81 was completely hidden from the driver of Car 55 before the passing move started. Even though the driver was warned about Car 81 catching up, the Stewards acknowledged that the obstructed view lowered his level of responsibility.
“With this mitigating factor in mind, the Stewards concluded that a five-second time penalty was more suitable than the typical 10-second punishment.”
Piastri was later forced to abandon the Hungarian GP due to a mechanical issue. Meanwhile, Sainz crossed the finish line in 18th place, a full two laps behind the victorious Norris.
