Carlos Sainz rails against 'disproportionate' penalty in latest FIA anger

Carlos Sainz has voiced his frustration over what he feels is a "disproportionate" five-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Williams driver was handed the punishment by the FIA stewards at the Circuit of the Americas, having been deemed responsible for his collision with Kimi Antonelli whilst fighting over seventh position on lap seven.

Heading into the tricky Turn 15/16 complex, Sainz put his FW47 up the inside, but there was no room and contact was made.

Whilst Antonelli was able to continue, it ruined his afternoon. He fell way down the order and could only finish a lowly P13.

Because the incident forced the Spaniard into retirement from the 56-lap United States Grand Prix, his sanction has rolled over to the round at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where the 31-year-old won for Ferrari 12 months ago.

He was also handed two penalty points on his FIA super licence, but the extent of his grid penalty has been called into question, with many believing a three-place grid drop to be a more just punishment.

Appearing in the media day FIA press conference alongside the Mercedes rookie, the pair were asked if all was forgiven between them.

Sainz told media, including RacingNews365: "What happens on track, it always stays on track," before expressing his feelings on the penalty.

"The decision that the stewards made of giving me a five-place grid penalty for here, after what happened there, I found it completely disproportionate to what the incident itself was," he added.

"Exposes a bit the rules... weaknesses in the rules that we have. But it's what it is, I have to take it. I obviously assume my responsibility, for my share of responsibility for the incident.

"I wish we would have both continued the race, but I think it's mostly... after looking at the data and all the onboards that we looked at, the fact that they still decided to give me five places for here is difficult to understand, difficult to accept, but whatever."

A problem for the drivers' briefing?

It is not the first time in recent rounds the motorsport governing body — and its stewards — has been on the receiving end of Sainz's ire.

He was unhappy with the penalty awarded to him in the Dutch Grand Prix for his clash with Liam Lawson, with Williams launching a right of review, which was subsequently won, into the punishment.

Following his latest penalty, RacingNews365 asked Sainz if he would bring the situation up in Friday's drivers' briefing, and whether he could see the rules being changed on the issue.

"I think it's not something to discuss in the drivers' briefing, because it's not like you're gonna change anything," the four-time grand prix winner responded.

"I think it's something maybe to discuss more in Qatar, where we are having a conversation about rules in general, about driving guidelines... which is something I was being quite vocal about.

"A guideline is not good. A guideline can help you to see an accident or try and evaluate an accident, but a guideline is not a rule, and sometimes these guidelines are being applied for any kind of situation on track, which I find a bit interesting and not exactly the way I would judge an accident."