The 2023 Australian GP was a horrendous race for Ferrari. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc failed to secure points extending the team’s poor start to the 2023 season.
Leclerc was forced to retire after spinning into the gravel. The Monegasque who won the race last year was unable to complete a single lap this year.
LAP 1/58
LECLERC IS OUT OF THE RACE!!!
The Ferrari driver spins off into the gravel and it’s all over at Turn 3 😫#AusGP pic.twitter.com/iKwyshR5nR
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
However, it extended the misery for teammate Sainz. The Spaniard was in the grasp of securing Scuderia’s first podium. But a last-lap penalty cost the driver 9 positions as he finished the race P12 instead of P3.
Why was Carlos Sainz handed a penalty?
Sainz was handed a 5-second time penalty ahead of the last red-flag restart. The Spaniard was penalized after he collided with Fernando Alonso in the 57th lap of the Australian GP.
Sainz inherited P3 after the incident-filled restart that saw 3 cars retire. Alonso managed to keep his car running and managed to return to the pit lane.
The 2x champion was allowed to hold on to his 3rd place after FIA reset the order. This was because the accidents occurred before the first sector was completed and as a result, the new order was declared void.
LAP 58/58 🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
The race will be resumed at 17:33 local time
Carlos Sainz has also been handed a five-second time penalty for his incident with Alonso at the prior restart#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Tyvw3KvY7P
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
Sainz was handed the penalty while he was preparing for the restart. The Ferrari driver clearly disliked the decision of the stewards which he deemed to be “unfair.”
Sainz was informed by his race engineer Ricky that he had been penalized for the incident. The Spaniard’s engineer signaled on his radio.“We get a 5-second penalty.”
Sainz was not having it as he refuted back, “No! You need to wait, Ricky! I cannot accept this. It’s so unfair. It’s impossible. They need to discuss it with me after the race! They need to discuss it with me after the race! Why do they have to put me out of the points? It cannot be. It’s too severe!”
Sainz calls the penalty “unfair”
Carlos Sainz was gutted by the decision and has requested the steward to repeal the penalty. The Ferrari driver was seen walking towards the stewards immediately following the end of the race.
He told the media, “I prefer not to speak because I would say bad words. First I want to go and talk to the commissioners because the penalty is unfair.”
📻 | Carlos Sainz radio after being given the penalty: pic.twitter.com/mTswCna5Mf
— Ferrari News 🐎 (@FanaticsFerrari) April 2, 2023
The Ferrari driver believed he was at a disadvantage as he would be relegated from the podium to outside the points finish. He was closely tailed by 8 drivers, all of whom could finish within the 5-second difference under the safety car.
He added, “I’m not going to speak or comment on it until I go to the stewards and they revert this penalty. It is the biggest disgrace I’ve seen in the sport for many years and whatever I’m going to say now, I’d rather not say it.”
Sainz finished the race P12, dropping him 9 places from his 3rd position. Ferrari failed to secure a point this weekend and is now 4th in the constructor’s standings.
