Carlos Sainz makes feelings clear as huge F1 grid penalty given ahead of Mexican GP

Carlos Sainz has vowed to "bounce back" at the Mexico City Grand Prix despite being forced to serve a grid penalty. Wherever the Spaniard qualifies at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he will have to start five places further back as a result of his collision with Kimi Antonelli in Austin.

The Williams racer attempted an overtake on the Mercedes up the inside, but Antonelli moved across to block his path and Sainz slammed into the side of the young Italian. Both were in contention for good points but the collision would ensure that both left Texas empty-handed.

Antonelli was able to continue despite the damaga, but Sainz had to pull over at the side of the track. And because he did not finish the race, the stewards were not able to give him a time penalty when, after the race, they adjudged him to have been "predominantly at fault" for causing the collision.

And so the 10-second time penalty he would have received has been converted into a five-place grid drop for the Mexico race. In a post on social media after that verdict was cast, Sainz accepted that he played a role in the crash though suggested he felt Antonelli also contributed.

He said: "It's a shame to end the race that way as the car had great pace today. I had done a similar move on [Oliver] Bearman some laps before, so I tried that inside line with Antonelli into turn 15. He opened the line and then closed the door more abruptly than what I was expecting.

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"I tried to react by slamming on the brakes to avoid contact, but it was too late and we touched. I was behind so I accept my part of fault and ultimately it's a shame as it cost the race for both of us. We were quick, so it hurts not to convert it into more points today but we'll bounce back for Mexico next week."

Explaining their decision, the stewards said: "Car 55 [Sainz] attempted an inside overtake on Car 12 [Antonelli] at turn 15 and a collision between the two cars occurred at the apex. The driver of Car 55 maintained that he had expected the driver of Car 12 to leave him space at the apex but Car 12 turned in early and Car 55 locked brakes when it became clear that a collision was unavoidable.

"He suggested that the Driver of Car 12 ought to have anticipated an overtake attempt by Car 55 and left space to avoid contact. However, at no point prior to the apex was the front axle of Car 55 alongside or ahead of the mirror of Car 12. Therefore, according to the Driving Standards Guidelines, Car 55 had not earned a right to be left space at the apex.

"The Stewards therefore determine that the Driver of Car 55 was predominatly to blame for the collision and a penalty is applied accordingly. As the driver to be penalized did not finish the race a grid penalty equalling a 10 seconds time penalty is imposed."