Carlos Sainz will have an even bigger setback on the starting grid of the Spanish Grand Prix in Formula 1. After being found guilty of impeding Valtteri Bottas during Q1, the Williams driver received a three-position penalty and will start in P20 in the race on Sunday.
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The incident happened at turns 6 and 7, when Sainz obstructed Bottas, who was on a fast lap. Both were eliminated still in Q1, and the Spaniard, who originally would have started in P17, was demoted three positions on the grid.
The FIA stewards’ decision pointed to a communication failure by Williams as part of the episode. According to the official statement, the team did not inform Sainz that Bottas’ car, identified as number 77, was approaching on a fast lap, while the Spanish driver also took no action to facilitate the passage.
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“The stewards determined that car 55 unnecessarily impeded car 77,” said the FIA statement published after the investigation.
With the penalty, Sainz loses three positions and moves to P20 on the starting grid of the Spanish GP. Bottas, who had been eliminated at the same stage of the qualifying session, gains one position and will start in P19.
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