Official: Ferrari's right to review Sainz penalty rejected

Ferrari’s right to review Carlos Sainz’s Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix penalty has been rejected.

Sainz received a five-second penalty in Melbourne after being found guilty of causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the chaotic late-race restart.

Due to the packed peloton at the finish, the penalty sent a furious Sainz from fourth place outside the points area.

Ferrari duly submitted a right of review, as permitted by Formula 1 regulations, and a virtual hearing was held this Tuesday at 8am to assess the validity of the team’s claim.

For the original hearing to be reopened, Ferrari had to present important, new and relevant information that was not available at the time.

The stewards concluded that they had not done so and therefore the right of review was deemed inadmissible.

This means that the Australian Grand Prix classification has been maintained.

Ferrari presented telemetry of the incident, as well as statements from Sainz and other drivers, but this was not deemed relevant to consider that the original verdict should be changed.

“We felt there was no need for us to hear Sainz or any other driver to decide that he was entirely responsible for the collision,” we read in the press release.

“A decision that we, and other stewards’ panels, routinely make and are encouraged to make, when the cause of the collision is clear and it is necessary for time penalties to be issued as quickly as possible. .”

In explaining why telemetry was not deemed new or relevant, the commissioners wrote:

“The Stewards have access to a considerable amount of telemetry data. We were also able to access this data. The telemetry data presented by Ferrari is ambiguous at best and, in our opinion, did not exculpate Sainz, but in fact supported our decision that he was entirely responsible for the collision.”

“He says he braked harder but couldn’t stop the car because of the cold tyres. He further states that a slow formation lap contributed to the cooling of the tyres.”

“There are two points. Firstly, even if this is true, the presentation of telemetry indicating its braking point is not a significant new element within the meaning of Art.14.”

“Second, the track and tire conditions were something every competitor had to consider and adapt to. By trying to brake late in his battle with Pierre Gasly, he took the risk that in as a driver he loses control of his car. In this case, that risk materialized, with the consequence of an ensuing collision, for which a penalty followed.”