FORMULA 1 teams may become more willing to appeal stewards’ decisions following Williams’ successful challenge of Carlos Sainz’s Dutch Grand Prix penalty points.
Racing Bulls principal Alan Permane stated that the rare overturning of the penalty could open the door to more challenges in future races.
Stewards at Zandvoort cancelled two penalty points against Sainz after Williams presented significant new evidence that was not available during the original decision.
One key element accepted by stewards was that Sainz’s own account of his collision with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson could only be heard after the penalty had been issued.
Permane noted that any decision made during a race automatically creates potential grounds for challenge if new testimony emerges later.
McLaren principal Andrea Stella supported making it easier to reopen stewards’ cases, arguing that the threshold for reconsideration had previously been set too high.
Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley agreed that the criteria for successful appeals had been very strict in the past, making Williams’ success particularly notable.
Wheatley emphasized that allowing drivers to race freely remains paramount to the sport, supporting the stewards’ decision to reconsider the Sainz penalty.
The team principals collectively endorsed the Right of Review process that led to the penalty being overturned in this case. – Reuters