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Sainz warned for impeding Verstappen in Hungarian GP free practice
Carlos Sainz received an official warning from stewards after impeding Max Verstappen during FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while the Dutchman faced no action.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-24T14:15:14.000Z - 2 min read
Formula 1 stewards reviewed a notable incident between Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen following first free practice at the Hungaroring. Officials ultimately decided to issue Sainz an official warning for impeding the Dutchman, while Verstappen himself was cleared of any wrongdoing in the aftermath of the situation.
The incident occurred on the straight leading into Turn 12. Sainz was driving on the racing line and slowed down early according to the stewards, just as Verstappen approached from behind on a fast lap. The Red Bull driver was forced to take evasive action to the right to avoid a collision.
During the hearing, Sainz explained that his team radio cable had come loose, preventing him from hearing repeated warnings from his pit wall regarding Verstappen's approach. The Spaniard noted he was preparing for a push lap and intended to warm up his brakes early, explaining his low speed on the racing line.
The stewards acknowledged Sainz's radio difficulties. However, they ruled that under such circumstances, without team communication, a driver should not warm their brakes while occupying the racing line. By doing so, Sainz impeded Verstappen. As the incident occurred during practice and was not inherently dangerous, an official warning was deemed sufficient.
Verstappen stated to the stewards that he was caught off guard by Sainz's slow speed on the racing line. Although forced to take evasive action, the Dutchman did not feel the incident was immediately dangerous at that moment.
Right after the evasive maneuver, Verstappen slowed down significantly near Turn 12. The defending world champion gestured with visible frustration toward Sainz, who subsequently re-passed Verstappen. This behavior by Verstappen was also reviewed.
However, the stewards concluded that Sainz was in no way impeded by Verstappen's deceleration. Furthermore, no other car on track was affected by Verstappen's actions. Consequently, officials decided no further action against the Red Bull driver was necessary.
As a result, the matter ends with an official reprimand on Sainz's record and a clear reminder to drivers to remain extremely cautious on the racing line, even when experiencing technical difficulties.