Verstappen Escapes Punishment as Sainz Is Warned Over Hungarian GP FP1 Incident

Verstappen and Sainz avoid significant sanctions

Max Verstappen escaped punishment while Carlos Sainz received a warning after their clash during first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The situation was complicated by a radio problem on Sainz’s car. The Williams driver later explained that a disconnected cable meant he could not hear his team warning him that Verstappen was approaching. The incident formed part of the early action at a weekend previewed in our 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix guide.

Stewards distinguish between the two drivers

Although Sainz’s radio failure explained why he missed repeated warnings from his engineer, the stewards still found that he should not have been preparing his brakes on the racing line without those communications. In their view, doing so hindered Verstappen.

However, the stewards noted that the incident happened during free practice and did not endanger Verstappen. Their final decision was therefore a warning rather than a more serious sporting penalty.

No further action for Verstappen

The stewards reached a different conclusion regarding Verstappen’s response. After moving off line to avoid Sainz, the Red Bull driver slowed significantly at Turn 12 and gesticulated to express his frustration. Sainz then overtook him.

The stewards found that Sainz was not affected by Verstappen slowing and that no other car was involved. With no further consequence identified, they took no further action against the Red Bull driver.

The outcome leaves Sainz with an official warning, while Verstappen emerges from the first-practice investigation without punishment.