Lando Norris finally ended his wait for a race win at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday night as he pipped championship leader Max Verstappen, though the race result changed overnight.
Ferrari star Carlos Sainz has been handed a five-second time penalty, changing the result of the Miami Grand Prix overnight.
Sainz had crossed the line in fourth place, behind winner Lando Norris, championship leader Max Verstappen and team-mate Charles Leclerc. But he was placed under investigation by the stewards after a collision with Oscar Piastri.
The Spaniard had been attempting to overtake Piastri in Turn 17 of the latter stages of Sunday’s race. But he slightly lost the rear of his Ferrari car and made contact with the Australian’s McLaren.
Piastri was forced to make a pit stop having damaged his front wing, dropping him down to 13th place. In response, the stewards have acted to penalise Sainz, dropping him down to fifth, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez promoted into fourth.
The Stewards released their decision overnight, having received a report from the race director and heard from both drivers. They opted to hand Sainz a five-second time penalty as well as one penalty point on his license.
The Stewards stated that they believed Car 55 was at fault for the collision.
However, they acknowledged that the collision may have been avoided if Sainz had not lost control slightly.
During the overtake maneuver, Car 55 [Sainz] braked too late, failed to hit the apex, and as a result lost control of the rear end, leading to a collision.
The Stewards stated that Car 81 [Piastri], while attempting to turn in to defend against the overtake, still provided enough space for Car 55.
Based on the situation, we determine that Car 55 is mainly at fault for the accident.
We considered the slight loss of control of the rear by Car 55 as a mitigating factor in this case, as the collision may not have occurred if not for that. Racing would have been challenging but beneficial.
Normally, a collision incurs a 10-second penalty and 2 penalty points.
However, considering the mitigating factors, we have decided to apply a 5-second time penalty and 1 penalty point instead.
Competitors are advised that they have the option to challenge specific rulings made by the Stewards, following the guidelines outlined in Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the specified deadlines.
Sainz was in a battle with Piastri, while Norris was making his way to his first-ever victory in the race.
Before this race, Norris had competed in 109 races without winning, but he managed to beat Verstappen and break his streak.
The English driver made a pit stop during a safety car period at the middle of the race, surprising everyone.
Verstappen was not able to match his pace. Verstappen caused a virtual safety car by hitting a bollard, allowing Norris to secure his first victory by pulling ahead.”
Leave a Reply