Carlos Sainz reflects on a challenging weekend in Japan. The Spaniard received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton during the qualifying round. Later, he was also fined a hefty ten thousand euros for arriving late to the opening ceremony and thus missing the start of the Japanese national anthem. In the run-up to the Bahrain GP, he could laugh about it, although he finds such penalties simultaneously absurd.
During a press conference, Carlos Sainz was asked about the fine that the FIA imposed after the race weekend in Japan. The Williams driver had to cough up ten thousand euros because he missed the start of the national anthem; he was still in the restroom. “I think I am one of the biggest advocates of punctuality,” he responded. “I make it a habit to keep appointments and be on time, also because I know that there are often dignitaries on the grid. That’s why I also took the blame: ‘Sorry, I’m late.'”
Negligible Offense
At the same time, Sainz finds it strange that he has to pay a fine for such a negligible offense. “That being said, we’re talking about five seconds,” he sighed. “Being five seconds late and having to pay ten thousand euros for that? That’s ridiculous. Maybe I’ll get another fine for this, but … shit happens,” he joked. “That’s how it goes sometimes. It’s disappointing, but it would be nice if someone could at least tell me what happens with that ten thousand euros. I wonder if it goes to a good cause.”
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli was also a guest at the press conference. “That’s going to be an expensive joke,” he whispered into his microphone. Sainz indeed risks a new fine. After Max Verstappen received a community service order last year for swearing during an official press moment, Charles Leclerc also received a fine of ten thousand euros for using the word shit.
