Carlos Sainz Jnr wants the FIA to explain why he had to wait until after a Safety Car period had ended to regain a position Sergio Perez had incorrectly taken from him.
The Ferrari driver emerged from the pits fractionally ahead of his rival after his lap 16 pit stop under the Safety Car. However Perez moved past him into third place.
Perez did not relinquish the place until the race restarted four laps later. Sainz had foreseen the very situation unfolding earlier in the week, saying drivers had to be prepared to give up places “immediately” if they had incorrectly taken them.
“You cannot lose three or four laps, then have to give up the position,” Sainz said on Thursday. “That’s why the rulebook needs to be super-clear, needs to be applied in a moment that there’s any friction.”
Speaking after the race Sainz said the incident with Perez was “a number one priority that we need to talk with the FIA.”
Sainz pointed out that because Perez slowed to let him past at the…