Carlos Sainz is dealt a harsh blow as an additional 10-second penalty after the Austrian GP drops him from fourth to sixth place. This post-race adjustment pushes Lando Norris up to fourth and Fernando Alonso to fifth. The penalties were imposed by the FIA following a review of the track limit infringements at around 21:30 PM on Sunday.
The drivers receiving penalties were:
- Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari – 10-second time penalty
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG-Petronas F1 Team – 10-second time penalty
- Pierre Gasly, BWT Alpine F1 Team – 10-second time penalty
- Alexander Albon, Williams Racing – 10-second time penalty
- Esteban Ocon, BWT Alpine F1 Team – multiple penalties
- Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing – 10-second time penalty
- Nyck de Vries, Scuderia AlphaTauri – multiple penalties
- Yuki Tsunoda, Scuderia AlphaTauri – 5-second time penalty
The FIA stated that due to the specific layout of the circuit and the propensity of drivers to repeatedly violate track limits, an unprecedented situation emerged where not all infringements could be reviewed during the race. Over 1200 incidents of potential track limit breaches were reported, resulting in a comprehensive post-race review.
To prevent similar issues in future races, the FIA is planning to recommend the circuit add a gravel trap at the exits of turns 9 and 10. This solution, while not simple considering other racing series like MotoGP, has proven effective at other corners and circuits with similar problems.
These changes are expected to take effect in 2024, alleviating the challenge of track limit infringements that led to the cancellation of 47 laps in Qualifying and around 120 in the race at the Austrian GP. The announcement comes on the same day it was confirmed that the Austrian GP has extended its contract with F1 until 2030.
