Formula One F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 4, 2025 Williams' Carlos Sainz Jr. during the press conference REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
MONZA, Italy (Reuters) -Williams are seeking to reverse penalty points handed to their driver Carlos Sainz for colliding with Liam Lawson at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, the Formula One team said on Thursday.
Stewards blamed the Spaniard, who was trying to overtake around the outside at the first corner after a safety car restart.
They handed him a 10-second penalty and two penalty points on his licence -- a decision Sainz said at the time was "a complete joke".
"We have submitted a right of review to the FIA (governing body) relating to Carlos' penalty in Zandvoort," Williams said in a statement.
"It is important for us to understand how to go racing in future and we are hopeful of a positive outcome."
Sainz finished 13th while Racing Bull's Lawson was 12th in a race that saw French teammate Isack Hadjar take his first F1 podium in third place.
The Spaniard told reporters he had sat down with stewards for 15 minutes after the race to discuss the incident and was left with the feeling that they knew they had got it wrong.
"It was very clear to me that as soon as they got all the evidence right... I think they realised probably the decision taken wasn’t the best one," he said.
"Now we are trying to see if we can come up with enough evidence to change the outcome of the penalty, because I still firmly believe it was a very poor penalty I received and a bad judgment.
"If there’s been a misunderstanding or a lack of evidence or analysis, then there is still time to reanalyse it, reopen it, and change it."
The former Ferrari driver said that having calmed down, he still believed the punishment was not acceptable.
Lawson told reporters earlier that he had not spoken to Sainz about the incident and the Spaniard had not sought a meeting.
He made clear also that he thought Sainz had been in the wrong.
"He’s the car going for the overtake around the outside, and he didn’t get his axle where he needed to get it. And somehow I’m deemed as being aggressive. So I don’t really understand it," said the Kiwi.
"I don’t know why he was so upset, honestly."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
