Sainz gets FIA reprimand for Spa pit-entry breach

Carlos Sainz received a reprimand from FIA stewards after a pit-entry breach in first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, where onboard footage showed him crossing the white line at Spa after he had been told to enter the pit lane. He then got a late instruction to stay out and rejoin the circuit to recharge his battery, and the stewards said Sainz acknowledged the breach and judged the maneuver was not dangerous in this case. It was his first reprimand of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and drivers are allowed four before a fifth brings an automatic 10-place grid penalty.

The incident came after Sainz was initially placed under investigation for Friday FP1 at Spa, with Sainz and a Williams representative required to report to the stewards at 15:15 local time. He said on team radio that a gearbox issue caused the confusion. Sainz finished 20th and last in FP1, about 3.8 seconds behind Max Verstappen and around 1.4 to 1.5 seconds slower than teammate Alex Albon. He entered the weekend 15th in the drivers’ standings with six of Williams’ 11 points, while the team sat eighth in the constructors’ championship.

Sainz also faced a separate investigation in final practice for allegedly failing to slow under double-waved yellow flags after Lewis Hamilton crashed at Turn 13. He came up behind Verstappen at the scene, locked up while trying to slow down, and Verstappen complained on radio that the Williams nearly hit the back of his car. The stewards summoned Verstappen for his account, and the episode followed another close call earlier in the weekend when Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli called Sainz an idiot over the radio.