Autosportfoto

Carlos Sainz Jr gets Baku F1 grid penalty for Grosjean collision

Carlos Sainz Jr will lose three places on the Formula 1 grid for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after being penalised for his accident with Romain Grosjean in Canada.

The Toro Rosso driver made contact with the Haas of Grosjean between Turns 2 and 3, spinning and crashing first into the Williams of Felipe Massa and then into the wall.

Sainz argued he could not see Grosjean as he was in his blind spot on the inside of the track.

The incident was investigated after the race and stewards found Sainz was to blame, saying his move was "careless and potentially dangerous".

Grosjean calls Sainz move 'pretty dangerous'

"The driver of car 55 claimed he checked his mirrors but that car 8 was in his blind spot and therefore he did not see it," the stewards said.

"Notwithstanding this, and our conclusion that the collision was not caused by a deliberate act on the part of the driver of car 55, we find that his assumption (as he stated) that there was no car alongside him and therefore he could move to that track position, was careless and potentially dangerous.

"This was evidenced by the further collision of car 8 with car 19, a direct result of this incident, which caused the retirement of car 19."

Sainz was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next event in Baku and also awarded two licence penalty points, bringing his total to seven during the past 12 months.

Zdroj: autosport.com