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Verstappen Escapes Punishment as Sainz Is Warned Over Hungarian GP FP1 Incident
Carlos Sainz was warned and Max Verstappen escaped punishment after their Turn 12 incident during Hungarian Grand Prix FP1.
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 incident occurred early in FP1 at Turn 12, as Verstappen began his first flying lap of the session. Both drivers were initially flagged for driving erratically before being placed under investigation after practice. The Williams appeared to impede Verstappen at corner entry, prompting an irritated radio message from the Red Bull driver.
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
The stewards concluded that Sainz had been on the racing line on the straight approaching Turn 12 and had braked early while preparing for a push lap and warming his brakes. Verstappen, arriving on a flying lap, was forced to move right to avoid a collision.
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.