Carlos Sainz has vehemently criticized the FIA for penalizing him at the Japanese Grand Prix for being late for the national anthem due to a medical issue.
On the grid at Suzuka, Sainz reported a stomach complaint to the FIA medical crew, but despite receiving treatment and using the restroom, the Williams driver was late for the national anthem ceremony, which all drivers must attend or face a fine.
The FIA fined Sainz €20,000, half of which is suspended for 12 months provided he does not violate the rules again. Ordinarily, the penalties is €60,000.
The Spanish racer has questioned the penalty’s harshness, revealing that he was only five seconds late.
Sainz is also at risk of facing the stewards’ wrath again after swearing during a formal FIA press conference in Bahrain, when he expressed his thoughts on the peculiar circumstance.
“I think I am the biggest supporter of punctuality and being a gentleman and being punctual to things, especially the national anthem with all the authorities there,” Sainz told reporters, such as RacingNews365.
“I was the first to put my hand up and say, ‘I am late, I am sorry for that’, but at the same time, I was five seconds late and had to pay €10,000, and for me, paying these fines is out of the question.
“I’m not sure if I’ll receive another fine for stating this, but shit happens; that’s how things go sometimes.
“It was expensive, and you know what $10,000 is, and [being] five seconds late is disappointing.”
“I hope someone tells me where this 10k goes and they say, ‘Okay, at least it went to a nice cause’ and I will look forward to seeing where it goes.”
