Carlos Sainz was fined €25,000 by the FIA following the qualifying round of the Singapore Grand Prix. The Spanish driver was penalized for ‘dangerously crossing the track’ after his crash in the final session of the qualifying round.
The incident occurred in the first minutes of Q3, when Sainz lost control of his Ferrari while warming up the tires and ended up in the wall at the last turn before the start/finish line. After exiting his damaged car, Sainz crossed the track without the marshals’ permission. The race direction was unyielding, as this action was deemed to have endangered the safety of both the driver and other participants.
FIA Rules and Sainz’s Violation
The FIA rules stipulate that drivers must first obtain permission from the marshals to safely return to the pits or a safe place after a crash. By ignoring this procedure, Sainz violated safety regulations. The Spaniard admitted that he acted instinctively in the confusion following the crash, but emphasized that safety should always be paramount. “I was focused on returning to the pits as quickly as possible, but I understand that I made a mistake,” he stated.
