PENALTY
B
ahrain Grand Prix stewards handed Toro
Rosso driver Carlos Sainz a three-place
grid penalty for the next race in Russia
after race he clattered into the Williams of Lance
Stroll during the race in Manama.
Sainz and Stroll collided as they both aimed
for the same piece of tarmac in Turn 1 at the start
of lap 12, with the Toro Rosso driver, fresh from a
pit stop, slamming into the side of the Williams.
FIA stewards studied the incident and
concluded: “Video evidence showed that car
18 [Stroll] was on the normal racing line. Car
55 [Sainz] left the pit lane and made a very
optimistic attempt to pass car 18 into the corner.
The stewards decided that the driver of car 55
was predominantly to blame for causing the
collision…”
Teenage rookie Stroll, who has yet to finish a
grand prix, explained, “I saw Sainz coming out of
the pitlane, I was 50 or 60 metres in front of him
in the braking zone, and was already turning in
and he drove into my side.”
“There is not much else to say, as I have just
seen the video and it was ridiculous. I think the
race wasn’t going badly. I had a bad start and lost
a couple of positions, but boxed early and had
a really good beginning to the stint on the soft
tyres.”
“I am just disappointed and hope my luck
turns round sometime soon. I can be frustrated,
but it won’t get me anywhere. On the bright side
there are many races to go.”
Sainz was also given three penalty points
on his license, bringing his total for the 12 month
period to seven. If a driver accrues 12 penalty
points in a 12-month period they will have their
Super Licence suspended for one race.