Formula One’s governing body, the FIA have announnced that Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix has been overturned after the Grove-based outfit had lodged a protest against the decision.
Carlos Sainz made contact with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson on Lap 26 at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Spaniard was handed a a 10-second penalty plus two penalty points after the stewards found that he was guilty for the incident.
However, the four-time Grand Prix winner and Williams were reluctant to accept the penalty, and the British outfit confirmed in the days after the race at Zandvoort that they had submitted a ‘Right of Review’ request regarding the 10-second penalty.
A hearing was set for Friday, September 12, with a team representative required to report to the stewards via video conference.
On behalf of Williams, Sporting Director Sven Smeets, Team Manager Dave Redding and Sainz took part in the virtual meeting, while Team Manager Marco Perrone and Lawson represented Racing Bulls on Friday. Attending the hearing on behalf of the FIA was the FIA F1 Sporting Director, Tim Malyon.
Williams were required to present the stewards with evidence that was “significant”, “relevant”, “new” or “unavailable to the party seeking the review at the time of the original decision”.
During the hearing, the Stewards were required to determine if any evidence presented to them fulfilled any of the aforementioned criteria. Only if the Review Criteria is met, would the Stewards be required to convene a further hearing to reconsider the Decision.
Williams brought three elements that they called “the alleged new elements”: a. footage from the 360° camera on Car 55; b. footage from the rear facing camera on Car 30; c. testimony from the Driver of Car 55. The British team asserted that these 3 elements, said to be significant and relevant new elements, were unavailable to it at the time of the Decision.
The Stewards agreed that the footage from the rear facing camera on Car 30 and the 360° camera are significant. As that evidence is also new, relevant and unavailable to Williams at the time of the Decision the threshold is met. As a result of its, the stewards decided to re-examine the Decision.
The FIA has now announced that it overturned the Sainz’s penalty. While nothing can be done regarding the time penalty the Spaniard served in the race, the two penalty points given to the Williams driver have now been removed.
Carlos’ Zandvoort penalty has been overturned on review.
Our reaction ⬇️
— Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) September 13, 2025
A document detailing the decision states: “Having considered the matter extensively and having reviewed the new video evidence and heard from the drivers of both cars and their team representatives, the Stewards determine to rescind the Decision. The Stewards agree with Williams’ characterisation of the collision as a racing incident.”
The decision continued: “The Stewards are satisfied that the collision was caused by a momentary loss of control by Car 30. However, in the Stewards’ assessment, no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for that collision.
“Car 55 contributed to the incident by taking the risk to drive close to, and on the outside of, Car 30 when Car 55 had no right to room there and there was a real possibility that, if the collision had not occurred where it did, Car 55 would run out of track at the exit and/or a collision would have occurred at the exit for which the Driver of Car 55 would likely be predominantly if not wholly to blame.
“The time penalty imposed by the Decision was served by Car 55 during the race. The Stewards have no power to remedy that served time penalty by amending the Classifications but note that the gap between Car 55 to the car ahead in the Final Classification of the race (coincidently Car 30) was 17 seconds. The Decision having been rescinded, it follows that the 2 penalty points imposed on the Driver of Car 55 are to be removed.”
F1