The Circuit of the Americas had proven to be a fortunate venue for Carlos Sainz since his debut in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2015. In fact, in his nine previous appearances driving for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari, the Madrid-born driver consistently finished in the points whenever he completed a race, including his last two podiums with the Scuderia (2023, 2024). However, this streak came to an abrupt halt with Williams , following an incident involving Andrea Kimi Antonelli , resulting in a subsequent five-place grid penalty for the Mexican Grand Prix .
Race stewards identified Sainz as the “main responsible” party in the collision with the Mercedes driver, thus imposing the “corresponding penalty.” The official statement, authored by stewards Felix Holter , Matthew Selley , Enrique Bernoldi , and Steve Pence , clarified: “Since the penalized driver did not finish the race, a grid penalty equivalent to a 10-second sanction is imposed.” According to the judges, Sainz was never alongside or ahead of Antonelli’s mirror, and thus, per regulations, he had no claim for space at the corner’s apex. This argument aligns with standard FIA documentation but contradicted Sainz’s interpretation, who had executed a similar maneuver on Oliver Bearman just moments earlier.
“From Outside, It Seems My Fault”
“I know that from the outside it looks like it’s my fault,” Sainz admitted in the mixed zone in Austin, preparing to elaborate further. “I accept that I locked up the tire and caused the incident. But if, when I made that same overtaking maneuver on Bearman, I wasn’t shut out like he was doing to me, I think both of us share a bit of blame,” he reasoned.
This lamentable chapter for Sainz came after he had achieved a podium finish in the sprint race just a day earlier and received a visit from Isabel Díaz Ayuso , president of the Community of Madrid, hours before the main event. During her time at the Circuit of the Americas, the leader from the People’s Party visited Williams’ garage, where she was welcomed by the Spanish Grand Prix ambassador in Madrid.
Following this penalty, Sainz’s prospects became more complicated for the upcoming race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez , where he had performed one of his career’s best showcases last year, claiming pole and victory. In the first free practice session, Sainz will hand over the FW45’s wheel to Luke Browning . This 23-year-old British driver is a member of Williams’ academy and maintains his chances of becoming the F2 champion in the final two championship rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Sainz with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid.
Another casualty from Sunday’s race was Lewis Hamilton , who finished fourth, just behind his teammate Charles Leclerc . In doing so, the seven-time champion became the driver with the most races in Ferrari ‘s history without a podium (19), surpassing the previous record of Didier Pironi , who went 18 races without a podium between 1981 and 1982.
This achievement adds to what has been a frustrating debut season for Hamilton with Maranello , as he never had the pace to finish in the top three. After his pit stop , he found himself in no man’s land, unable to pressure Lando Norris while the McLaren driver closed in on Leclerc. Additionally, during the race’s closing laps, Hamilton suffered some issues with his front-right tire, as he reported over the radio to his engineer Riccardo Adami .
“I Must Keep Pushing”
The 10 points earned on Sunday, combined with the seven from the sprint race , allowed Lewis to set another record, becoming the only driver in history to surpass 5,000 points. He currently sits at 5,004.5 points, holding a comfortable lead over Max Verstappen (3,329.5). Nevertheless, the Dutch driver snatched from Hamilton the honor of being the most victorious driver on American soil, achieving seven wins.
“It was a good result for the team. I’m happy to have finished ahead of a Mercedes and a McLaren. There are many positive conclusions. Naturally, I want to go further, so I must keep pushing,” concluded the former leader of the Silver Arrows . With these 36 points gained in Austin, Scuderia maintains a solid third position in the Constructors’ Championship, fiercely battling against Mercedes (341) and Red Bull (331).
From here on, Hamilton’s immediate priority will be to secure a podium at circuits that tend to favor him, such as Mexico and Interlagos . Not forgetting Las Vegas , where Ferrari has shown strong performances in 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, Leclerc aims for a victory to salvage his year, as the team led by Fred Vasseur has yet to break its drought, matching the dismal records set in 2020 and 2021.