Carlos Sainz stunned by Arvid Lindblad penalty escape: 'Pretty nasty moment'

Carlos Sainz has expressed surprise that Arvid Lindblad escaped a penalty for squeezing him against the pit wall at the start of the United States Grand Prix.

Fast-starting Williams driver Sainz tried to force his way through when faced with Lindblad's Racing Bulls ahead of him, only for the British driver to close the door on the Spaniard along the front straight, leading to him kissing the wall.

Sainz avoided serious contact but picked up front-wing damage in the process, which compromised his opening stint. The Spaniard was eventually forced to pit for a new nose that cost him several seconds, before recovering to finish 18th, one lap down.

Despite the severity of the squeeze, no investigation was opened, and Lindblad was not penalised by the stewards for the clash.

Speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Sainz said his own race had started well before the incident unfolded.

"It was a good start," said Sainz. "We've picked up a trend now where I think everyone knows we're getting very good starts, and they kind of put us off a bit at the start always.

"I'm surprised he [Lindblad] got away with that because, obviously, he's putting someone in the wall and creating what could have potentially been a very big accident.

"I backed out in time, but I picked up a lot of front-wing damage, which compromised my first stint. On top of that, obviously a slow pit stop to change the front wing, seven, eight seconds extra, but then I managed to recover from there, and I settled down into a decent pace for the rest of the race.

"So yeah, bit of a shame at the start and that lap one was compromised, and stint one was compromised, but it is what it is."

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Sainz - 'I've never got away with it'

The Williams driver went further when reflecting on the lack of sanction, questioning why the same standard did not appear to apply to him when he has been judged too aggressive in the past.

"We are all very high standards," said Sainz. "It's just that sometimes someone has a bit of an off moment, which always happens in F1.

"My opinion is that Arvid was maybe too much on me, but we've all been too much one or two days.

"What I'm surprised is that when you're too much, you get away with it. Whenever I've been too much, I've never got away with it.

"I'm surprised that someone got away with it because it was a pretty nasty moment there on the wall."