FIA take action on Sainz after third summons in trying Japanese GP weekend

The Japanese Grand Prix serves as a weekend to forget for Carlos Sainz as his search continues for a performance breakthrough at Williams.

But, before he could fully put the race weekend behind him, Sainz was summoned by the stewards for a third time this race weekend, after arriving late for the national anthem ceremony ahead of lights out, and has landed a hefty fine as a result.

Carlos Sainz fined by FIA stewards over national anthem attendance

Sainz went into the Japanese Grand Prix with a three-place grid drop after the stewards judged him to have impeded Lewis Hamilton – the driver who replaced him at Ferrari – during qualifying at Suzuka.

And that was after the stewards had hauled the Spaniard up for speeding in the pit lane by 13.7km/h, which resulted in a €1000 fine for his Williams team.

Now, Sainz’s expenditure at Suzuka has significantly expanded, with the stewards fining him €30000, €10000 of which is suspended for the next 12 months dependent on their being no further breach of Article 19.4 b) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, which states that ‘no less than sixteen (16) minutes before the scheduled start of the formation lap, all drivers must be present at the front of the grid for the playing of the national anthem’.

However, Sainz has been spared the €60000 fine listed as the penalty for this offence, with the stewards accepting stomach discomfort for the Williams driver as a mitigating factor.

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The verdict reads: “The stewards heard from the driver of Car 55 (Carlos Sainz), the team representative and Dr Messina of Med-Ex, and reviewed video evidence.

“The driver arrived at the National Anthem Position after the anthem had commenced. During the Drivers’ Briefing on Friday all drivers were reminded of the requirement to be in position by the time prescribed in the regulations and the need to show respect for the host country’s anthem.

“It is noted that the Penalty Guidelines prescribed in Appendix B of the FIA International Sporting Code, list a penalty for this offence, of €60,000. However in mitigation, the driver stated that just prior to the anthem, he experienced discomfort due a stomach issue which delayed his appearance on the grid.

“This was verified by Dr Messina of Med-Ex who confirmed the issue and stated he had provided appropriate medication for the driver.

“Notwithstanding the above, displaying respect for the national anthem is a high priority and all parties need to consider every eventuality in planning to be in position for the anthem by the required time. Hence a penalty similar to that imposed for a similar breach in Canada in 2024, is imposed.”

Sainz started the Japanese GP P15 and finished P14, on a day where team-mate Alex Albon scored two further points to take his season tally to 18, while Sainz has just the one, scored in China thanks to Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly all being disqualified.

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