F1 News

Update | Sainz receives reprimand for incident with Alonso in FP3

19 March 2022 at 18:16
Last update 19 March 2022 at 18:16
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  • GPblog.com

Qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix may start with a penalty for Ferrari. Carlos Sainz has to report to the stewards after an incident during the third free practice with Fernando Alonso.

Sainz was brought out by Ferrari during FP3, but he almost collided with Alonso's Alpine in the process. The FIA announced during practice that they will investigate the incident further.

Ferrari look strong. During the last practice session before qualifying, Charles Leclerc again finished right behind Max Verstappen's Red Bull, and Sainz was also in a good position in P5. Things did not go smoothly, as Leclerc lost his car at turn 11 while Sainz almost collided with Alonso.

Penalty for Sainz?

A so-called unsafe release normally earns a team a fine. It is rare that a driver receives a time penalty due to a call from the team. Ferrari and Sainz have to report to the stewards at 13:30 UK time, so a verdict will not be long.

Update | Sainz gets reprimand

Ferrari did not receive a fine after all. Instead, Sainz will receive a non-driving reprimand. Drivers will only receive a penalty after five reprimands. Previously this was three. Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll also received reprimands on Friday.