Jolyon Palmer thinks Carlos Sainz proved an ‘obvious’ issue that takes the skill out of F1

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Williams driver Carlos Sainz played a major role in the result of the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, and Jolyon Palmer feels he even highlighted a key issue with the F1 race.

The 31-year-old played an unintentional role in the outcome of the fight between Ferrari star Charles Leclerc and Red Bull rival Max Verstappen for P2 in the Mexico City GP on Sunday. A late virtual safety car to recover the Spaniard’s car denied Verstappen a chance to try a pass.

Sainz also opened his Mexico City GP by effectively ending the race of Racing Bulls ace Liam Lawson at Turn 1. The Williams driver hip-checked Lawson and forced them both to use the run-off area. Lawson retired on Lap 5/71 owing to the damage along the right side of his car.

Lawson had looked to run around Sainz’s outside for the inside for Turn 2, which would have given him P12 after starting in P15. Sainz started the Mexico City GP in P12 after a five-place grid penalty for causing his crash with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the United States Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz proved the issue with the Mexico City Grand Prix’s grass run-off area at Turn 1

Palmer thinks Sainz was possibly lucky to avoid a penalty for causing a crash with Lawson at the start of the Mexico City GP. But the ex-Renault man believes the incident highlighted an issue with how F1 drivers treat the opening corners at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

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Sainz did not need to turn out to run across the grass at Turn 1 when he barged into Lawson, but he rather sought to exploit F1’s reluctance to issue penalties for drivers leaving the track on the opening lap. Sainz used the run-off as Esteban Ocon of Haas was immediately ahead.

Palmer told the official F1 website: “Carlos Sainz might have been a potential gainer, but he cut through causing contact with Liam Lawson and both of them paid a heavy price. Lawson retired early with subsequent damage, and Sainz had race-long issues, too.

“Carlos perhaps got away with causing unnecessary contact, as he bolted for the run-off and didn’t check the mirrors. But this raises an obvious point. The drivers know that they can cut the corner in Mexico and keep, or even gain, positions.

“Then it’s up to them to decide how many places they give back, and where they should slot back in. They will have looked at the previous starts in Mexico and seen this is a pretty common scenario, which is why this year even more drivers opted to do it.

“What that means is drivers can be hopeful on the brakes, rather than skilful, down to Turn 1, be overly optimistic, and know that there is no real punishment for getting it wrong.”

Oscar Piastri showed the price that Carlos Sainz refused to pay by cutting Turn 1 in Mexico

Sainz was not the only driver to exploit F1’s reluctance to give penalties to drivers who used the run-off area at the start of the race on Sunday. Palmer thinks Leclerc deserved a penalty in the Mexico City GP after cutting the grass at T1 and gaining a position on Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull’s Verstappen also utilised the grass run-off area, as he felt squeezed in the braking zone for Turn 1. Mercedes rookie Antonelli, too, ran through the grass, as, like Leclerc had, the Italian had struggled for grip on the dirty line and decided against trying to take Turn 2.

Only McLaren driver Oscar Piastri ran deep at Turn 1 but backed off to take the normal line for Turn 2, which dropped the Australian behind Haas’ Oliver Bearman, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda. Piastri ultimately ended the race behind Bearman, too.