Williams Driver Carlos Sainz Penalized for Blocking Lewis Hamilton in Qualifying

Carlos Sainz has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the Japanese Grand Prix after impeding Lewis Hamilton during qualifying on Saturday.

Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, has been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday. The incident occurred when Sainz, having just completed a quick lap, unnecessarily impeded Hamilton at turn one, forcing the seven-time world champion to take evasive action. As a result, Hamilton had to go wide and off track, disrupting his qualifying lap.

Carlos Sainz received a 3 place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton!!! pic.twitter.com/XRQwsueUBG

— sin ⁴⁴ (@44britcedes) April 5, 2025

The stewards' investigation into the incident revealed that Sainz had not received any warning from his team about Hamilton's approaching car on a push lap. “(Sainz) stated that he did not have any warning from the team, of the approach of Car 44 (Hamilton) on a push lap,” the stewards explained in their statement. This lack of awareness contributed to the impeding incident, which ultimately led to Sainz's grid penalty.

"For me that's an absolute slam dunk penalty for Sainz." 😲

Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton are under investigation for Sainz allegedly blocking Hamilton going into the first corner 🔍 pic.twitter.com/dOhKiqzqlN

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 5, 2025

As a consequence of the penalty, Sainz will drop from his original qualifying position of 12th to 15th on the grid. This demotion has a ripple effect on the starting lineup, with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Racing Point's Liam Lawson, and Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda all moving up one position to 12th, 13th, and 14th, respectively.

The stewards' report revealed that Carlos Sainz claimed he was caught off guard by the incident, citing the high approach speed of Car 44 and the angle of his own vehicle, which obstructed his view of Car 44 in his mirrors.

The stewards, however, remained unmoved by Sainz's explanation, opting to apply the standard penalty for the infraction. Their decision was based on the principle that responsibility for the incident lies with the driver or team, regardless of fault.

In contrast to Sainz's misfortune, his teammate Alex Albon fared better in qualifying, securing a ninth-place start for Sunday's race.