The Sauber F1 team was fined €20,000 (£17,771) for their unsafe release of Kamui Kobayashi during the British Grand Prix.
The stewards found Sauber in breach of regulation 23.1 (j) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulation – unsafe release from the pit box.
The team released Kobayashi within the allowed distance to the oncoming car but the Japanese driver bogged down which meant he got a slow getaway.
By the time he got going again, he was driving into the path of Pastor Maldonado in the second Williams.
![Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [McLaren] celebrate their 1-2 finish at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-McLaren-F1-2025-1-120x86.webp)
As Kobayashi realised the mistake, he veered right and into the Force India pit equipment, damaging a hydraulic arm and wheel gun which the team Silverstone based outfit had to quickly repair.
The penalty follows a drive-through during the race for the same incident.
![Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri [McLaren] celebrate their 1-2 finish at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-McLaren-F1-2025-1-350x250.webp)
