Ferrari requests right of review over Sainz Australian GP penalty

Ferrari has opted to submit a right of review request to the FIA over the five-second penalty handed to Carlos Sainz at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Sainz was punished by the stewards for tagging Fernando Alonso into a spin on the exit of Turn 1 just after the second restart, a sanction that dropped the Spaniard from fourth to twelfth in the race’s final standings.

“Notwithstanding the fact that it was the equivalent of a first lap incident, we considered that there was sufficient gap for Car 55 to take steps to avoid the collision and failed to do so,” noted the stewards in their report.

However, amid the commotion that took place at the first corner, separate incidents involving Logan Sargeant hitting Nyck de Vries as well as Pierre Gasly colliding with Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon were not sanctioned by the stewards.

Furthermore, after the race was red flagged for the second time of the day, the field was regrouped for a final restart behind the safety car in the order in which they had previously lined up on the grid, a decision that virtually wiped out the events at the first corner.

Should Sainz have therefore been handed a penalty for a crash that technically did not happen?

“We did the petition for review of the case, that we’re sending to the FIA,” Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur told the media.

“The only thing is that Gasly and Ocon, we also had Sargeant and De Vries at Turn 1, and the reaction from the stewards was not the same [as with Sainz].”

At the very least, Vasseur hopes that Ferrari’s discussions with the FIA will clarify the situation for the future.

“What we can expect is at least to have an open discussion with them [FIA] and also for the good of the sport, to avoid to have this kind of decision when you have three cases at the same corner and this indecision,” said the Frenchman.

Vasseur said that Sainz was “devastated” after the race by the stewards’ call as it deprived him of a bag of good points, while the stewards’ refusal to hear from the Spaniard only added to the latter’s frustrations.

“After the race you have to understand that with the pressure, the emotion, they [drivers] are a bit extreme in terms of reaction. But I think he was devastated on Sunday,” said Vasseur.

“The biggest frustration with Carlos, and you heard it on the radio, was to not have the hearings. Because the case was very special.

“In this case I think it would’ve made sense, considering that the race was over and it was not affecting the podium, to have the hearings like Gasly and Ocon.”