FIA to hear Ferrari’s request to review Carlos Sainz penalty

Formula One’s governing body will hold a hearing next week to address Ferrari’s request to review the time penalty given to Carlos Sainz Jr. at the crash-marred Australian Grand Prix.

The FIA said a virtual hearing will take place Tuesday after Ferrari initiated a right of review in the hope of overturning the five-second time penalty handed to Sainz.

The Spanish driver was given the penalty after colliding with Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso on Lap 1 of the final grid restart, leading to the third red flag of a chaotic race on April 2 and a one-lap restart behind a safety car. Only 12 of the 20 starters finished the race.

The penalty demoted Sainz from fourth place with 12 points scored to 12th place and no points. Sainz is in fifth place in the standings with 20 points after three races.

Ferrari was frustrated that the penalty was handed out without race stewards hearing from the drivers and also because it had no bearing on the podium positions, since cars are not allowed to overtake behind a safety car and the last lap was a procession to the finish line.

Sainz said he was too angry to talk after the race and upset that stewards didn’t speak to him before making the call.

“Right now, I cannot talk. I’m too angry, too disappointed, too,” he said. “I just cannot say anything.”

Alonso, who finished in third place for the third straight race this season, called Sainz’s penalty harsh.

The FIA said Friday that race stewards received a letter from the governing body’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis with the April 6 petition from Ferrari attached.

The hearing will determine whether or not evidence presented by Ferrari is significant, new and relevant. Stewards can then decide whether to re-open the investigation of the incident and convene another hearing.

The new hearing could result in the penalty remaining the same, being changed or overturned altogether.