Carlos Sainz lays out objective after Williams submit right to review

Having submitted a right of review Carlos Sainz’s Dutch Grand Prix penalty, the Williams driver says it’s about having those two penalty points expunged from his record.

Sainz was hit with a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his Super Licence when the stewards ruled he was “wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision” with Liam Lawson.

Williams has submitted a right to review Carlos Sainz’s penalty

Sainz and Lawson collided at the Zandvoort circuit after a Safety Car restart as the Williams man tried to overtake the Racing Bulls driver around the outside at Turn 1.

Lawson, who by the letter of the law in F1’s racing guidelines, had the corner as he was the car ahead at the apex, drifted up the track where he made contact with the Spaniard.

Sainz decried the penalty as “the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my life” and went to speak with the stewards, claiming in Monza that they “realised the decision that had been made was probably not the best”.

Williams subsequently submitted a right to review.

Approached for comment by PlanetF1.com, the team said: “We can confirm we have submitted a right of review to the FIA relating to Carlos’ penalty in Zandvoort. It is important for us to understand how to go racing in future, and we are hopeful of a positive outcome.”

For Sainz, it’s about getting those two penalty points expunged from his record.

Although it only increased his tally to four overall in a rolling 12-month period, any driver who incurs 12 penalty points in that period faces an automatic race ban. Sainz only loses his first two points on 13th April 2026.

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“At the moment, we cannot discuss it much because it’s under investigation,” he told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher and other media outlets, “and so there’s not the possibility to actually open the debate or the discussion.

“But yeah, there was some attempt to do [it] and it was pretty clear what everyone thought in that room [during the drivers’ briefing].

“It was a very positive meeting. At the same time no one’s going to take away the 10 seconds in a race for poor decision or poor judgment, that’s why we need to get better to avoid this kind of mistakes from happening.”

The four-time grand prix winner says his only goal in the right to review is to have his two penalty points erased.

“To be honest, it’s left my mind now. I’m not bothered too much,” he said after qualifying at Monza.

“I wish they take away the two penalty points on my license because I don’t deserve two penalty points, even less I deserve ten seconds in a race.

“But that’s the way it goes and tomorrow I can race and forget that chapter.”

Further information over the review, and when it will take place, has yet to be communicated by F1’s governing body, the FIA.

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