Carlos Sainz has received an FIA warning for driving unnecessarily slowly during Sprint Qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, adding another unwanted chapter to a difficult Friday at Zandvoort for the Williams driver.
Sainz, who has signed a new deal with Williams, was summoned by the stewards after Sprint Qualifying following a potential breach of Article 12.2.1.i of the FIA International Sporting Code. The regulation covers drivers who are judged to have driven unnecessarily slowly, whether on track or when entering the pit lane.
After reviewing data, video footage, team radio and onboard evidence, the stewards concluded that Sainz exceeded the required maximum delta time by approximately five seconds before reaching Safety Car Line 1.
The Spaniard was issued with a warning rather than a sporting penalty, meaning his Sprint grid position was unaffected.
According to the FIA’s verdict, Sainz had first needed to allow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc through before Turn 13. That decision affected his lap-time delta, and although he accelerated in an attempt to recover the lost time before entering the pits, he was still outside the permitted target.
Sainz told the stewards that he was unable to accelerate as he wanted because the battery on his Williams had been depleted. However, he also accepted that he could have done more to get back within the delta requirement before arriving at the pit lane.
“The stewards acknowledge the difficulties arising from energy management,” the official decision stated, “but also agree with the driver that he could have done more to manage his delta time and therefore determine that a Warning to the driver is appropriate.”
It is a relatively minor consequence for Sainz, but it rounded off a challenging opening day of the Dutch GP weekend.
The Williams driver could manage only 18th in Sprint Qualifying after setting a best time of 1:14.738. That left him 0.120 seconds short of the pace required to progress to SQ2, in what was a tightly contested opening segment at Zandvoort.
Sainz’s qualifying struggles came after a troublesome first practice session in which he went off track on three occasions. The Spaniard admitted he was struggling with the balance of the FW48, with the incidents inflicting damage on components that Williams then had to replace.
“I struggled a lot this morning with the balance of the car and unfortunately went off into the gravel a few times,” Sainz explained.
“We damaged quite a lot of parts on the car, so in FP1 I couldn’t run with the right components. The components that we have to put on the car for the rest of the weekend are not the best in terms of downforce and performance delivery.”
Williams still waiting on an upgradeWilliams is still waiting for an upgrade package planned for Baku, leaving the team with limited flexibility as it manages damaged parts during the Zandvoort weekend. Sainz said the aggressive gravel traps at the circuit had made the situation more costly, but he remained focused on gathering as much information as possible from the Sprint.
His 18th-place starting position makes points an unlikely outcome in the shorter race, although the Sprint will offer Williams an important opportunity to assess its balance and tyre behaviour before Grand Prix qualifying.
For Sainz, avoiding a grid penalty is the immediate positive. But after a Friday defined by balance troubles, damaged components and an FIA summons, Williams faces a demanding task to turn its Dutch Grand Prix weekend around.
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