The penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz for the battery replacement during the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend continues to generate controversy. The Spanish driver fell victim to a poorly secured manhole cover during Free Practice 1. The damage sustained by the SF-23 was so extensive that it knocked out both the Power Unit and the battery, condemning the Ferrari driver to start 12th despite an excellent qualifying performance.
The Las Vegas sports weekend didn’t kick off in the best way. Just minutes into the first Free Practice session, Carlos Sainz was forced to retire after dislodging a poorly secured manhole cover on the track. The incident, besides causing significant damage to the Spanish driver’s SF-23, also led to the cancellation of the session and the postponement of FP2.
In these circumstances, as explained by Italian journalist Jacopo Moretti, the regulations leave little room for maneuver: if there is a replacement of a component in the car that would trigger a penalty, it must be applied. Unfortunately, this is the case for Carlos Sainz, forced to use the third battery on his car.
During the post-qualifying press conference, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc did not hesitate to express solidarity with the Spanish driver, who secured the second position after Q3. “The rules need to change,” said the Dutch driver emphatically, followed closely by the other Ferrari driver. “It’s the same as when someone forces you off, and you have a bad accident.”
“These circumstances need to be taken into account. Perhaps you could have some kind of ‘free-penalty’ that is not considered. And the other teams should not have the right to intervene in these matters. Obviously, they would vote against in these cases. What happened to Carlos [Sainz] is definitely cruel.”
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Echoing the sentiments of the Dutch driver were not only Charles Leclerc but also Fernando Alonso. According to the fellow countryman from Aston Martin, the penalty is too severe a consequence for the events that transpired. In any case, Fernando Alonso emphasizes that what has been done to secure the circuit is commendable.
Source: f1ingenerale
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