Opinion: Was Carlos Sainz‘s Time Penalty Fair?

You may be aware that there was a very chaotic Australian Grand Prix that took place over the weekend and with it came the never ending debate over the FIA's inconsistency when it comes to in race penalties. And, yes, as the title suggests, I'm talking about THAT 5 second time penalty. The one for Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz, that he received towards the end of the race during one of the many red flag periods.

Let's start by rewinding back to lap 54. Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has stopped out on track after a clash with the barrier that has bought out the red flag for a second time. All the drivers therefore head back to the pits. The race restarts with one racing lap remaining but is quickly suspended again after carnage at the first corner.

Carlos Sainz tags his compatriot; Fernando Alonso which causes a chain reaction of events throughout the field. Pierre Gasly tries to avoid the initial contact and collides with his teammate, ending both of their races. Sergio Perez in the Red Bull also takes avaisive action but manages to get through ok. The same isn't said for Logan Sargaent and Nyck de Vries at the back of the field who both find themselves stuck in the gravel traps and out of the race. Should Sainz be held accountable for all of this? In normal race conditions, quite possibly. This, however, was far from normal.

With the red flag waving once again and only one racing lap remaining; the FIA seemed adamant the race would continue. However, the grid would be reset to the order at the last restart which leads us to the main discussion in this article - was Sainz's 5-second time penalty fair? The driver himself didn't think so.

After the Spaniard was told of the penalty during the final hiatus, he vented over team radio:

"No, it cannot be. Why is this me out of the points. No it’s unacceptable. They need to wait until the race is finished. No! They need to wait to discuss with me. The penalty is too severe!"

With Sainz in P4 and the field all bunched together with one lap remaining under safety car, his fantastic race to finish in the points had been undone. His frustration was understandable, especially as the previous lap had been effectively voided with everyone restarting, bar those who had crashed out, in their previous positions.

His mood was no better after the chequered flag was waved. He even cut his interview with Sky Sports F1 short telling them:

"I prefer not to talk right now, I'm too disappointed. It's the most unfair penalty I've seen in my life. I prefer to talk to the stewards now and then come back to you."

Other drivers, and ex-drivers came to Sainz's defence. Alonso, who was tagged by Sainz in the carnage, thought the penalty to be "too harsh."

"I think because on lap one it is very difficult always to judge what the grip level [is] and I think we don’t go intentionally into another car, you know, because we know that we risk also our car and our final position, so sometimes you end up in places that you wish you were not there in that moment."

Ex-driver Martin Brundle said on Twitter:

"That’s an inconsistent penalty for Sainz from a standing start in the early corners."

But not everyone came to the Spaniard's defence. Another twitter post, this time from ex-Williams reserve driver Jack Aitken read:

"For everyone asking why a penalty was applied even though the “lap didn’t happen”, it did! It was part of the race distance. And what’s more, it doesn’t matter. If you break the rules on a formation lap or on the way to the grid, you will still be penalised."

In short, everyone seems to have their own opinions on the matter and that's okay. What we can all agree on, however, is that the FIA are still extremely inconsistent with their penalties.

Do I think Sainz's penalty to be unfair? 100%. In my eyes, it was a racing incident and I'm not saying that as a Sainz fan. Effectively, the lap doesn't exist and the drivers were reinstated their positions. Of course, that didn't help those who crashed or got stuck in the gravel and couldn't restart the final lap but that's just one of those things. It's motorsport. Incidents happen. The issue with the penalty is the FIA. And, with multiple incidents in the past, surely it's time they studied their own rule book and kept things consistent? It's easier said than done.

Race Report: Australian Grand Prix 2023

Remember the days when the Australian Grand Prix was the season opener? Well, those days are gone and this year the race down under was number three in what is a jam-packed F1 season.

Taking place at the iconic Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, this year's Australian GP did not disappoint. Although, some drivers may beg to differ. So what went on? Keep on reading to find out!

Before the race had even began, the weekend itself already had it's fair share of drama. From spins, brushes against the wall, tyres, weather and wildlife; what else could Australia have in store for us? Well, a lot apparently.

To no surprise, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was on pole with the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton starting in 2nd and 3rd behind him. Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, had a nightmare qualifying session after a lock up left him stuck in the gravel at turn three. It would be a pit lane start for the Mexican destroying all hopes of an all Red Bull front row start.

Race day was sunny, the beginning of Autumn. Eighteen cars were lined up on the grid, the final two in the pit lane. The all important five red lights came on and then it was lights out and away we go.

Verstappen has a decent start but so do both of the Mercedes drivers who manage to get past the Dutchman all before turn three. Further back, at the same corner, it's all over for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who spins off into the gravel after contact with Lance Stroll bringing out an early safety car. Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant, Perez and both Alfa Romeo drivers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu take the opportunity to pit, disposing of the tyres they started the race with.

As quickly as the safety car was deployed, it's time for it to come in again. Russell and Hamilton, again, have fantastic starts and manage to keep Verstappen at bay. But things aren't as good as it seems at Mercedes with the team asking Russell to "manage." Russell, not happy with this instruction replies "you're asking me to manage when I'm being attacked by my own team mate!"

With the help of DRS, Hamilton is quickly reigning his teammate in.

Lap 7 and the safety car makes a reappearance. Alex Albon in the Williams has lost it at turn 7 with quite a shunt. Russell pits from the lead with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz joining him. However, this turns into a costly error for the pair as the race is red flagged and those who are yet to pit, including Hamilton and Verstappen, now find themselves in a pretty good position.

With everyone on fresh tyres, the race resumes with a standing start. Hamilton leads the field away but Verstappen is closing in. Sainz, who restarts in 11th after his badly timed pit stop, gets away well and starts to pick off the drivers ahead one by one, starting with the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Back at the front, Verstappen finds himself with the aid of DRS and wastes no time in taking the lead from Hamilton. Less than two laps later and he's already pulled a gap of 2+ seconds.

Verstappen and the rest of the field are soon slowed down thanks to a virtual safety car caused by Russell and his Mercedes which has flames billowing from the exhaust. He pulls over at the end of the pit lane and the car is quickly recovered.

Racing is back under way, again, by lap 20 and Hamilton is concerned about the fast paced Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso creeping up behind him. "Alonso is pretty quick, I don't know if these tyres will make it to the end," Hamilton tells his team over radio.

Not too far behind Hamilton in 4th is Pierre Gasly in his Alpine defending well from faster cars behind. Sainz attempts a move on Gasly around the outside but quickly switches to the inside with success and takes 4th from the Frenchman. Perez, in the second Red Bull, is also doing a decent job making his way through the pack. He's up to 10th and into the points. Unsurprisingly, with the pace Red Bull have shown so far this season.

Lap 29. Halfway through the race. Verstappen is way out front with the fastest lap. Hamilton and Alonso, in 2nd and 3rd respectively, can't find a way to close the gap to the reigning World Champion. Alonso, however, is clinging on to Hamilton, pushing him so he uses his tyres. The gap between the pair is at 1.7 seconds.

After a quiet 10 or so laps, Hamilton starts to pull a gap to Alonso. But it's Gasly in 5th that's the one to watch. With the help of DRS he's clinging onto the Ferrari in front and keeping the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll at bay. At the front, Verstappen is starting to catch the back markers, lapping them in the process. The other Red Bull; Perez, is now up to 7th after passing Haas driver; Nico Hulkenberg. Despite this, he has been on the radio complaining of tyre deg.

There's a moment for Verstappen on lap 48 when he experiences some front locking which leaves him trundling along the grass. But, because he's so far ahead of P2, his lead isn't under threat and he carries on as if nothing has happened.

Less than 10 laps to go and things are getting spicy in the mid-field between Norris and Hulkenberg with the latter closing the door on the McLaren several times over the course of a few laps. Norris finally gets past the Haas on lap 52. In the process, Hulkenberg gets onto the tyre marbles and takes a trip through the gravel before continuing on in 9th.

Yellow flags start to wave on lap 54 and Hulkenberg's teammate; Kevin Magnussen is slowing. He only seems to be running on three wheels attached to the car with the fourth in the middle of the track. He's clattered the wall and the safety car has been deployed yet again. But, with some drivers complaining of debris on the track, the decision has been made; the red flag is thrown out for a second time.

With only 1 racing lap remaining, questions were being asked as to whether the race would continue. At 16:56 local time, our questions were answered and the drivers followed the safety car out of the pits ready for the restart.

Every driver left in the race lined up on the grid, all with soft tyres bolted to their cars. And, for a third time they were off!

Leader, Verstappen, has another clean get away but it isn't the same for those behind. Sainz clips Alonso at turn one causing the Aston Martin driver to spin. Gasly tries to avoid this but ends up collecting his teammate with both of them hurtling towards the barriers. Sargaent is also out and is joined by Nyck de Vries in his Alpha Tauri. Perez also had to take evasive action, running over the gravel but continues to run down in 10th. In the midst of all the chaos, the red flag is back for it's third appearance of the day. Alonso is quick to ask his team as to whether the current order will stand or if they'll go back to the previous lap. It all rests on the stewards shoulders as they investigate as to whether the drivers completed the necessary sector or not. Surprisingly, the race was to be resumed with the previous order, minus those who had crashed out at the previous restart.

Once again, the safety car leads the drivers on a "formation lap." This would also be the last lap. The chequered flag would be out waiting for them once the safety car peeled into the pits.

You'd think this would be the end but alas, it's not. A five-second penalty is given to Sainz on the last lap for the carnage at the first corner. If everyone bunches up enough, Sainz could be out of the points.

The race finally ends with 12 cars crossing the finish line. Verstappen takes another victory, his first at Australia. Sainz, furious with the penalty, drops from 4th to 12th which promotes Yuki Tsunoda into the points for the first time this season. Hulkenberg stops on track during the cool down lap. Ironically, this brings out the red flag again.

Hamilton and Alonso join Verstappen on the podium. Rounding out the top ten was Stroll, Perez, Norris, Piastri, Hulkenberg, Zhou and Tsunoda.

Phew, that was a long one with three red flags, numerous safety cars and a virtual safety car, multiple crashes and incidents, three different leaders and plenty of on-track action. And, people say F1 is boring? At least there's a few weeks to recover now before madness in Baku. See you then!

Five Intra-Team Battles That Rocked Formula One

Teammate rivalries are something that occasionally comes to fruition within the world of motorsport. Whether they're racing for the top spot or for the final points paying position; the tension can build up between drivers with it, in some cases, eventually exploding. And, although this can make for fantastic racing and viewing for the fans, the teams may have other opinions.

In Formula One, rivalries between teammates isn't anything new, with many pairings throughout the history of the popular motor racing championship coming head to head. In the current F1 season, it look's as if we're being treated to yet another fantastic intra-team battle with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing. (You can read my article about their dwindling teammate relationship here.) And this got me thinking. From the past to the present, which driver pairings have been the most intense; and, in one way or another, have managed to rock the world of F1? Let's take a look.

Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna (1988-1989)

1988 was a dominant season for McLaren and their drivers; Prost and Senna. Between them they won 15 out of 16 races over the course of the season, with Senna securing that year's title. However, in 1989 the animosity between the driver pairing would escalate and come to a complete fruition during the Japanese Grand Prix when the two collided. Although Senna won this race, he would later be disqualified, handing the '89 championship to Prost who then departed the team for Ferrari. Prost would go on to say that "to be honest, I’m quite happy to leave because I think it becomes absolutely impossible to work with Ayrton.” Despite their on-track and off-track differences, the two World Champions eventually reconciled before Senna's untimely death in 1994.

Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi (1981-1982)

This intra-team rivalry has, in the past, been described as one of, if not, the most intense rivalries in Formula One. And, although initially the pairing of Villeneuve and Pironi worked, it didn't take much for their relationship to fall apart, with Villeneuve vowing to never talk to his teammate ever again after they clashed during a race. Later, in 1982, things got worse between the teammates, most notably at the San Marino Grand Prix. Ferrari, the team both Villeneuve and Pironi drove for, requested that both drivers slow down as they had a considerable lead over the rest of the field. The pairing would constantly switch positions with Pironi winning the race on the final lap, a move that left his teammate furious and their relationship non-repairable. Less than two weeks later, Villaneuve was killed during qualifying at Zolder as he supposedly attempted to go faster than Pironi. To this day, opinions are split on what actually happened with the accident but what is known is that Villeneuve was angry with Pironi and that this intra-team battle could have contributed in some way to Villeneuve's demise.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (2009-2013)

The rivalry between Vettel and Webber started in 2007, sometime before they became teammates. It was at that year's Japanese Grand Prix when the two collided behind the safety car. Frustrations were more than understandable as both drivers stood a chance of taking their maiden wins. However, in 2009 any hard-feelings between the two had to be put aside when Vettel joined Webber at Red Bull Racing. And, although 2009 was a successful year for the team, 2010 brought yet another downward spiral between the teammates. At the 2010 Turkish GP, Webber was on course for his third consecutive win that season when Vettel attempted an overtake on him and made contact causing both drivers to spin. After several more incidents throughout 2010, 11 and 12, it's fair to say that the relationship between Vettel and Webber had become non-existent and in 2013 it reached a boiling point after the infamous "Multi-21" incident at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Vettel said of the incident: "the bottom line is I was racing, I was faster, I passed him, I won," a statement that summarised the rivalry between the two. Webber would go on to leave Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel at the end of the 2013 season.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (2013-2016)

Despite being childhood friends during their karting years, things turned sour rather quickly when Hamilton and Rosberg teamed up at Mercedes in 2013. From 2014, the year of new regulations, Mercedes created a package that dominated the field and with both drivers vying for the championship, it was inevitable that sooner or later things would come to blows. Their most infamous clash was at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix when Rosberg collided with Hamilton on the first lap resulting in a double DNF for the team. This was a big blow for Hamilton as Rosberg had already won every race that season so far. The rest of the season was full of tension in the Mercedes camp as the relationship between the drivers dissolved into nothing. Rosberg would eventually win the 2016 championship and announce his shock retirement soon after.

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton (2007)

Although Alonso and Hamilton were teammates at McLaren for only one season, it was enough time for the two to become rivals. In fact, to the surprise of many, Hamilton, fresh out of GP2, took the fight to the more experienced Alonso during the first race of the season before appearing on the podium for nine races in a row. Things started to change during the Monaco Grand Prix when tension grew due to team orders that denied Hamilton the chance to fight Alonso for the win. Later on in Hungary, team orders caused more issues when Hamilton failed to follow them. This frustrated Alonso who then went on to sabotage his teammate's qualifying lap before receiving a grid penalty for his actions. The rest of the season was full of issues between Hamilton and Alonso and, although, both drivers finished the season tied on 109 points, Hamilton was ahead of Alonso. Alonso would leave McLaren at the end of the season with Hamilton taking the championship win the following year.

So there we have it - five teammate rivalries that have manage to rock the Formula One world and it's fair to say that there are plenty more waiting out there. Will the rivalry between Verstappen and Perez in 2023 become one for the history books? Time will tell.

Which teammate rivalries have you enjoyed watching in the past? Let me know in the comments section below!