Carlos Sainz, the Williams driver, has received a five-place grid penalty for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, dropping from 9th to 14th position.
This sanction follows the stewards’ ruling that the Spanish driver did not sufficiently reduce speed during Q3 qualifying under yellow flags displayed in sectors 4 and 5 of the Baku circuit.
Despite a radio warning from his team and his own acknowledgment of the situation, Sainz explained that he applied an overall speed reduction covering both yellow-flagged sectors, without specifically slowing down in sector 4. The stewards rejected this interpretation, emphasizing that each yellow-flagged sector requires a distinct and significant reaction.
Telemetry data showed that Sainz set his best time in sector 4 without a notable speed reduction, which led to the penalty.
This decision moves Sainz behind Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman, Liam Lawson, Alex Albon, and Esteban Ocon on the starting grid.