FIA has made a decision regarding the investigations of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton after the Formula 1 Dutch GP Sprint race. On this Saturday (22), the Dutch driver finished sixth, while the British driver was seventh.
Read more F1: Verstappen finds positive sign in Sprint with Red Bull
As they headed to their positions on the starting grid, both the four-time world champion and the seven-time world champion stopped their cars, which led the stewards to analyze whether they had correctly followed the procedures to reach the starting spot.
The footage showed that the congestion at the back of the grid made it difficult for the Ferrari driver to pass. Therefore, the stewards considered the driver’s decision to stop where he was reasonable given the circumstances. The seven-time world champion was thus found innocent and received no penalty.
“Car 44 stopped before reaching Safety Car Line 1 and therefore did not reach the grid [as defined in item 24 of the Race Director’s Competition Notes] under its own power. However, since the back of the grid was extremely congested when the car arrived at the location, the stewards determined that the driver acted appropriately and stopped in a safe place, as close as possible to the grid. Therefore, no penalty was applied.”
Verstappen, in turn, had the same outcome, as did Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll, who committed the same infraction. The three also escaped any punishment.
Read more Dutch GP 2026: the live F1 Qualifying in Zandvoort
Carlos Sainz also did not receive a penalty after the Zandvoort Sprint, although he was warned by the stewards. Gabriel Bortoleto, on the other hand, remains under investigation for a possible unsafe release and is expected to appear before the stewards after the race.
The Spaniard started from the pit lane after Williams made changes to his car setup and finished the Sprint in 19th position. The Spaniard’s case involved an incident at the end of the formation lap, when he overtook Valtteri Bottas before reaching Safety Car Line 1 while heading to the pit lane.
The stewards determined that Sainz breached the regulations, but the penalty normally applied in such cases would be a pit lane start. Since the Spaniard had already started the Sprint this way, the penalty would have no practical effect. Therefore, the stewards chose only to issue a warning to the Williams driver.
Read more F1: Bortoleto sees good Sprint with good pace at the Dutch GP: «Steps in the right direction»
