Sainz hit with rare penalty after Safety Car error at Silverstone

Carlos Sainz was handed an unusual post-race penalty following the British Grand Prix after incorrectly unlapping himself during the closing Safety Car period, dropping the Williams driver from 12th to 17th in the final classification.

The incident occurred after Max Verstappen's lap-46 crash at Stowe triggered the race’s neutralization, which remained in place until the finish, allowing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to secure victory at Silverstone.

However, as race control prepared for a possible restart, lapped cars were instructed to overtake the Safety Car and rejoin the back of the field. Although several drivers were authorised to do so, Sainz was not among those listed by race control.

Williams mistakenly believed the Spaniard was eligible to unlap himself and instructed him accordingly. As a result, Sainz gained a lap he was not entitled to recover, prompting the FIA stewards to impose the rare sanction of adding one lap to his final race result.

The penalty is understood to be the first time a Formula 1 driver has received a one-lap addition to their race classification for an incorrect unlapping procedure under Safety Car conditions.

FIA explains exceptional circumstances behind the penalty

In their official verdict, the FIA stewards acknowledged that Silverstone's unique pit lane and track layout contributed to the confusion, but concluded that Williams had made two procedural errors.

The stewards' statement read:

"The stewards heard from the team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing and in-car video evidence.

"Although car 55 was lapped at safety car line one when entering the pit lane, due to the specific track and pit lane configuration at Silverstone, it had temporarily unlapped itself by the time it crossed the line at the end of the lap, during which it crossed safety car line two for the second time after the safety car was deployed.

"Consequently, car 55 was not a lapped car for the purposes of Article B5.13.4 c) and was therefore not entitled to overtake the safety car when the 'lapped cars may now overtake' message was displayed.

"However, car 55 unlapped itself once the message was displayed by race control. The stewards noted that, after completing its pit stop, car 55 once again was a lapped car when it re-joined the track.

"Given the exceptional track layout at this event, the stewards understand how the sequence of events may have contributed to the team's confusion.

"The team representative acknowledged that the team nevertheless made two errors: firstly, by failing to recognise that car 55 was not a lapped car at the relevant reference point under Article B5.13.4 c).

"Secondly, by failing to note that car 55 was not included in the race control message identifying the cars permitted to overtake the safety car. The team representative accepted that they inadvertently gained a lap when they were not entitled to do so."

• Read also: FIA clarifies why British GP ended behind Safety Car

The penalty capped a difficult afternoon for Williams. Sainz narrowly missed out on points before the sanction was applied, while team-mate Alex Albon had already retired on lap 43 after carrying damage sustained in an opening-lap collision with Oliver Bearman.

For Williams, the ruling served as a costly reminder of how crucial precise interpretation of race control instructions can be during Safety Car periods, particularly at a circuit with the unique characteristics of Silverstone.

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