Sainz pushes for 3-grid penalty rule for causing a red flag during Qualifying

Sainz wants tougher consequences for qualifying stoppages

Carlos Sainz is preparing to take a new proposal to the Grand Prix Drivers' Association after the controversy around Max Verstappen's qualifying crash in Austria and George Russell's pole-winning lap under yellow flags.

“The way George handled it I think was perfect - for what the rulebook allows you to do,” Sainz said. “He deserved that pole position, because he played the rules to perfection. But he should have never been allowed to finish that lap or to close a lap in that kind of dangerous situation.”

A three-place grid drop proposal

He referenced Baku last year, when he had been on provisional pole for Williams before Verstappen improved late, and admitted drivers understand how the rulebook can shape outcomes. That wider Williams context also remains relevant given the team's ongoing development push, covered in our report on how Williams has pinned recovery hopes on a major Baku upgrade.

“If you push flat out but you push too far, and you're not letting others improve. You're earning a position by not letting others do a better job than you. Even if it's non-intentional,” Sainz said.

Sainz was careful not to accuse Verstappen of intent, saying he believed the Red Bull driver's crash came from a failure and that Verstappen had no incentive because he was not on pole. But he insisted he has seen enough cases at tracks such as Baku and Monaco to believe the issue needs a structural fix.

Drivers split on a blanket rule

Charles Leclerc accepted the logic for certain circuits but questioned a season-wide regulation. He argued that at some tracks a driver who crashes already pays a significant price by losing the lap, and said a blanket penalty would not necessarily make sense.

Verstappen went further on deliberate cases, saying they should carry an even bigger sanction than Sainz suggested. But his main concern remained the yellow-flag handling itself.

“It should not have been a single yellow. That is at least a double yellow or a red,” Verstappen said, adding that drivers will inevitably optimise around what the rules permit.

The debate now moves toward the drivers' room, where Sainz intends to raise whether qualifying needs a sharper deterrent against incidents that can decide the grid.