Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been dealt a setback ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton during Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Suzuka Circuit. The penalty, issued by the FIA stewards following an investigation, sees Sainz drop from his original P12 starting position to P15 for Sunday’s race.
The incident occurred during Q2, when Hamilton, embarking on a push lap, encountered a slow-moving Sainz at Turn 1. Sainz, who had just completed his own flying lap and was on an in-lap, remained on the racing line, forcing Hamilton to veer off track to avoid a collision. The seven-time world champion expressed his frustration over the team radio, highlighting the disruption to his lap. Despite the incident, Hamilton managed to progress to Q3, ultimately qualifying in P8, while Sainz was eliminated in Q2 with the 12th-fastest time.
Following the session, the stewards launched an investigation into a potential breach of Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, which prohibits drivers from unnecessarily impeding others during qualifying. Both Sainz and a Williams team representative were summoned to provide their accounts, with the stewards reviewing video footage, team radio communications, and positioning data.
In their verdict, the stewards acknowledged Sainz’s claim that he received no warning from his team about Hamilton’s approach. “The driver of Car 55 [Sainz] stated that he was caught completely by surprise and, because of the approach speed of Car 44 [Hamilton] and the angle of his car, he could not see Car 44 in his mirrors,” the official statement read. However, they emphasized that the Williams team had sufficient time—over eight seconds—to alert Sainz of Hamilton’s impending push lap, noting that the responsibility lies with the team to manage traffic awareness.
“It is noted that the standard penalty guideline for this offence during Qualifying, irrespective of whether it was the fault of the driver or the team, is a 3 grid position penalty,” the stewards concluded, applying the customary sanction. As a result, Sainz’s demotion reshuffles the midfield grid, promoting Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso to P12, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson to P13, and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda to P14.
The penalty adds to a challenging start to Sainz’s 2025 season with Williams, following his high-profile move from Ferrari over the winter. The Spaniard has been vocal about the adjustment period with the FW47 car, and this incident underscores the team’s ongoing teething issues in communication and strategy. Meanwhile, Hamilton, now in his first season with Ferrari after replacing Sainz, will look to capitalize on his P8 starting position in pursuit of a strong result at a track where he has historically excelled.