Carlos Sainz will start Sunday’s Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix from 20th on the grid after FIA stewards handed him a three-place penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas during Saturday’s qualifying session.
Sainz had a difficult session, missing out on Q2 by five thousandths of a second to his teammate Alex Albon and qualifying 17th.
The penalty, applied for an incident at Turns 6 and 7, drops him three places further down the order.
The stewards confirmed a breach of Article B4.1.1 of the FIA Formula 1 regulations. They found that Williams did not warn Sainz that Bottas was near on a flying lap, and Sainz took no action to make way for the incoming car. After reviewing video, timing, team radio and in-car footage, and hearing from both drivers and team representatives.
Williams retains the right to appeal the decision within the appropriate time limits.
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