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Carlos Sainz starts from P10 on the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix after a dramatic crash in his Ferrari during qualifying.
The Ferrari driver slammed into the barriers going through the final corner of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, causing many to abandon their laps including Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen also had his lap time deleted by the stewards because it was set under the double-waved yellows for Sainz, even though he lifted the throttle as he entered the incident zone.
After he climbed out of his Ferrari, Carlos Sainz was unhurt from the accident having gone into the barrier backwards after losing the rear preparing for his timed lap.
Despite the session restarting and enabling drivers to compete in a one-lap shootout for pole, Sam Bird was stunned by what he heard happened to Sainz in the aftermath of the session when speaking on the Chequered Flag podcast.
Carlos Sainz fined by FIA stewards for crossing the track
After he clambered out of his stricken Ferrari, Sainz walked across the live track back to the pit lane entrance while the session was red-flagged.
Following a stewards investigation, the Spaniard was handed a €25,000 fine with €12,500 of it suspended on the condition there is no similar incident for the rest of the season.
The FIA has attracted a few headlines this weekend notably for its crackdown on swearing in press conferences, but Bird felt the penalty was harsh on Sainz when he was told the full amount of the fine from the stewards.
“I’m sorry. I’m still a current racing driver that is organised and run by the FIA, and a lot of things that they do are superb and they’ve built our sport into what it is today which is an incredible thing,” said Bird.
“But there are some things where I want to bury my head a little bit.”
Carlos Sainz fined half of what Lewis Hamilton was handed for a similar incident
The FIA stewards have previously fined drivers for similar incidents in the aftermath of crashes on track.
Lewis Hamilton received a €50,000 fine at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix after he crossed the live track following a start crash with teammate George Russell.
Sainz’s penalty was half of Hamilton’s last year because the Spaniard’s offence was done during a red flag, while the seven-time world champion committed his offence under Safety Car conditions.
The Spaniard also argued that he was beyond the pit entry when he crossed the circuit, which was taken as mitigating circumstances.
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