Carlos Sainz believes race stewards have an ego problem

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Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz believes that the reason race stewards won't allow an appeal of their decisions is because of pride and fear of losing credibility.

The Spanish driver found himself on the receiving end of the stewards' wrath last weekend in Bahrain following a collision with Williams' Lance Stroll for which he was judged as responsible.

Sainz's punishment for the mishap is a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Russian Grand Prix at Sochi.

"I obviously was quite surprised with the grid drop. I thought they were going to consider it a racing incident," Sainz explained.

"Obviously in F1 when you are fighting for position, for the points, there are a lot of racing battles going on.

" It was, for me, a racing incident. Lance simply didn't see me and maybe a guy with a bit more experience would have seen me and left me enough space on the corner."

Sainz gets Russia grid penalty for Stroll smash

The post-hearing process does not allow for any appeal or any discussions with the stewards after the fact, a restriction which Sainz disagrees with.

"You go home with the penalty, you get it, you cannot appeal, nothing. That's how it is," Sainz said.

"Even for pride, they wouldn't change their opinion. I don't think it would change nothing. Even if you had the opportunity to appeal, it's not like suddenly the stewards are going to decide the contrary.

"They take a decision, they go with it, they understand they wouldn't change their decision because they would lose some credibility.

"They will never change. But there you have it. First incident, fighting for position, first penalty."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.