Carlos Sainz says the five-second time penalty that he received at the Australian Grand Prix was the “most unfair penalty” he’s ever seen.
Sainz was running in fourth place towards the end of the race when Haas’ Kevin Magnussen hit the wall, which threw debris across the track.
Race Control opted to call a red flag to clear the debris, and at the restart, Sainz had contact with compatriot Fernando Alonso.
It was one of several incidents that occurred at the restart, which caused Race Control to deploy another red flag – the third of the day after a crash for Alexander Albon early in the race resulted in a suspension.
The Stewards deemed that Sainz was at fault for the contact and issued him a five-second time penalty.
“I think it is the most unfair penalty I’ve seen in my life, so before talking to you and saying really bad stuff, bad words, I prefer to go back to the stewards and have a conversation with them,” he said after race.
“Then maybe I can come back and talk to the media because now I cannot honestly do it. I think it’s too unfair and I don’t feel well to speak now. I’ll try to come back later.”
Sainz’s frustration was evident in the moments after he was told he had the penalty.
Over the team radio, he exclaimed: “It’s unacceptable. No! It’s not acceptable, tell them. It’s unacceptable, they need to wait until the race is finished but discuss it with me.
“Please, please, please just wait and discuss it with me. Clearly the penalty is not deserved, it’s too severe.”
Sainz’s team-mate Charles Leclerc also failed to score points after retiring on the opening lap of the race.
Keyword: Sainz fumes over ‘most unfair penalty I’ve seen in my life’