Sainz Incident Under Review, No Penalty Issued in Las Vegas Qualifying
The stewards have determined no further action is necessary following an incident between Carlos Sainz and lance Stroll during Q1 of the Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying session.The incident stemmed from Sainz briefly running off track and rejoining, prompting a yellow flag situation.
Qualifying was held in challenging conditions,with a wet track surface and cool temperatures making tire warm-up difficult. Drivers reported substantially reduced visibility, exacerbated by the slickness of the painted track markings in the rain – a common issue on both street circuits and conventional race tracks.
Sainz explained he promptly recognized the yellow flag situation created by his off-track excursion. “I knew I was generating a yellow flag at the time, and I was just trying to get the yellow flag to stop as soon as possible and get myself back onto the track,” he stated. He was conscious of Stroll approaching behind him and prioritized a safe re-entry.
“I tried to rejoin as safely as I could,” Sainz added, noting his concern about unnecessarily impacting other drivers in the already tricky conditions and perhaps triggering a red flag. He also highlighted the general struggles faced by the field. “We were all on buildups, trying to get the tire into temperature, all doing mistakes. Visibility was also extremely poor.”
Both drivers progressed from Q1, although Stroll’s qualifying run ended in Q2. Sainz secured third place on the grid, pending confirmation from the stewards regarding the rejoining incident.
Following a review, and taking into consideration a statement from an Aston Martin team representative confirming that Stroll was not impeded or endangered by Sainz’s maneuver, the stewards opted not to impose any penalties. The decision document noted the stewards also factored in the prevailing yellow flag conditions and poor visibility when reaching their conclusion.
