Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has called for an additional penalty for Carlos Sainz following an incident at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Schumacher believes the five-second time penalty issued to Sainz for contact with Oscar Piastri was insufficient. The incident occurred on Sunday, July 27, during the race at the Hungaroring.
Sainz, driving for Williams, made contact with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri as Piastri attempted to lap him. At the time, Piastri was leading the race, while Sainz was engaged in a battle for position with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
A system failure at the Hungaroring meant that several drivers did not receive blue flag warnings on their steering wheels. Sainz stated he had no blue lights on his steering wheel and that Piastri was in his blind spot.
However, onboard footage revealed that Sainz passed seven trackside blue panels, which indicate a faster car approaching. His Williams pit wall also informed him of Piastri’s presence.
The FIA stewards ultimately deemed Sainz ‘wholly responsible’ for the collision. They imposed a five-second time penalty, noting that the standard 10-second penalty was reduced due to Piastri being in Sainz’s blind spot.
Piastri expressed significant frustration over team radio, stating the incident cost him the lead of the race. He later retired from the Grand Prix due to an unrelated gearbox issue.
Ralf Schumacher strongly criticised Sainz’s actions, labelling them ‘unsportsmanlike’ and an ‘absolute no-go’. He argued that the five-second penalty was too lenient for the severity of the infringement.
Schumacher has demanded a further sporting consequence for Sainz. He suggested a qualifying grid penalty for the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort to prevent such incidents from setting an unwanted precedent.
This incident was not the only blue flag issue during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Oliver Bearman also received a five-second penalty for a blue-flag infringement with Isack Hadjar. Max Verstappen also voiced frustration regarding Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Earlier in the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Sainz received an official warning for impeding Max Verstappen during Free Practice 1. This prior incident was also attributed to communication issues.
