The United States Grand Prix stewards handed George Russell a five-second time penalty after he collided with Carlos Sainz Jnr at the start of the race. Was it the right call?
Incident
Sainz started from pole position, three places ahead of Russell. But the Ferrari driver made a sluggish getaway and was immediately passed by Max Verstappen, who started second.
As Russell and Lewis Hamilton closed in behind, Sainz switched from the outside line to the inside. Russell, behind Sainz, headed for the inside of the corner as well and the pair made contact, the Mercedes’ front-right hitting the Ferrari’s left-rear and tipping it into a spin.
Russell was able to continue but was swiftly issued a five-second time penalty which he served at his first pit stop. Sainz limped into the pits where he retired with a loss of water pressure.
How it happened
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What they said
In the cars
Russell exclaimed “he just cut across me” after the clash. A dejected Sainz said only “come on, what happened there?”
After the crash
Sainz laid the blame for the collision at Russell’s feet, and said he deserved his penalty. “I was in the middle of a fight with Max and suddenly came someone that wasn’t even in that fight and bumped into me,” he said. “So I don’t think it needs too much explanation and images.”
Russell is yet to comment on the incident to the media.
The incident in pictures
The official verdict
Russell was given a five-second time penalty and two penalty points on his licence. The stewards ruled: “The driver of car 63 [Russell] braked late into turn one and collided with car 55 [Sainz], and was therefore wholly to blame for the…
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