Williams driver Sainz penalised one lap at British GP

Williams driver Carlos Sainz has been handed an unprecedented one-lap penalty by Formula 1 stewards for illegally overtaking the Safety Car during the confusing conclusion to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The penalty, described as one of the most severe available, drops Sainz from 12th to 17th in the final classification but does not cost him any championship points.

The incident occurred during a chaotic final phase of the race, which ended under Safety Car conditions on Sunday, July 5. Confusion spread when the standard "Safety Car In This Lap" message was displayed, leading teams to believe a one-lap sprint to the finish was imminent. However, the Safety Car did not enter the pits. Race leader Charles Leclerc was instead guided around for another lap before taking the chequered flag, securing victory. The FIA later stated the premature message was caused by a software error.

Amid this confusion, Sainz's Williams team instructed him to overtake the Safety Car after the "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" instruction was issued. In a detailed explanation, the stewards ruled Sainz was not entitled to do so due to a technicality arising from Silverstone's unique track layout.