Nico Rosberg calls for Carlos Sainz penalty after he ‘again messes up completely’
Nico Rosberg felt Carlos Sainz should have been penalised for his Italian GP crash with Oliver Bearman
Nico Rosberg was left baffled that Carlos Sainz did not receive a penalty for his collision with Oliver Bearman during the Italian Grand Prix.
Rather, it was Bearman who received a 10-second time penalty having been judged as the driver at fault. Rosberg could not understand that decision from the FIA stewards, while he criticised Sainz’s form compared to his Williams team-mate Alex Albon.
Nico Rosberg: ‘Carlos Sainz needs to get a penalty!’
Sainz in the Williams and Haas driver Bearman came to blows at the second Monza chicane. Bearman had looked to launch a move down the inside going into the chicane, after pulling almost alongside the Spaniard. Bearman’s right front tyre connected with Sainz’s rear left upon turn-in, as the duo spun in unison.
Both drivers got going again. Sainz finished 11th, one place ahead of Bearman, who received a 10-second penalty for the clash.
Former Williams driver Rosberg was on Sky F1 punditry duties at Monza, and before presenter Natalie Pinkham could even finish her sentence asking for his verdict, Rosberg declared: “Carlos Sainz needs to get a penalty!
“So, Oliver Bearman has a half a car’s length in there. Half a car’s length! It’s not like, yeah, it’s just a front wing in there or something. That’s a significant amount of car in there.
“Why doesn’t Carlos Sainz just leave a bit of space? Like, give me a reason. He’s in there, so leave some space, and then nothing happens and it’s all good.”
Williams development driver Jamie Chadwick quipped that she needed to be neutral like “Switzerland” in her analysis, but in all seriousness, agreed that Bearman should not have been the driver penalised.
“It shouldn’t have been a 10-second penalty for Ollie Bearman at all, to be honest,” she said, “because, I don’t know where he’s meant to go.
“I think the incident could have been avoided. I think for both of them. In that instance, I think Carlos probably could have given a bit more room.”
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That makes it five point-less grands prix in a row for Sainz, who sits 18th in the Drivers’ Championship. Teammate Alex Albon meanwhile crossed the line seventh in Monza, his fourth points finish in five races.
That result saw Albon improve to P7 in the Drivers’ Championship, overtaking Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Albon has 70 points to Sainz’s 16.
Such form from Albon has impressed Rosberg, who did not say the same about Sainz. The four-time grand prix winner has struggled in his first season with Williams.
“Alex again, just such an awesome weekend,” said Rosberg. “He just keeps delivering. It’s so great to see.
“Overtaking Sainz, and let’s also mention, that it’s kind of the same story. It’s kind of representative of the whole season, because Alex, again, phenomenally strong, and Sainz, again, messes up completely, crashes, and no points.
“So yeah, it’s just impressive.”
Having found himself on the receiving end of a controversial penalty at Zandvoort, after a collision with Liam Lawson, Sainz this time evaded punishment after his Bearman tangle.
But, while Rosberg and Chadwick felt Sainz could have stopped the Bearman collision happening, the Spaniard did not agree.
“I think I left a car’s width on the inside,” Sainz told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher and other publications at Monza. “And I think that’s why the stewards gave him a penalty.
“I braked extremely late on the outside, like I don’t think the guy on the inside could have braked any later.
“I think it’s just a typical Monza incident. One of the two needs to back out. I was in front at the apex. He decided not to back out of the move. Typical Monza.”
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