Carlos Sainz’s fine for being late for the national anthem ceremony in Japan has again highlighted the frustration of Formula 1 drivers over increased FIA penalties for off-track offences introduced for 2025.
Punctuality at the anthem has been a point of discussion in drivers’ briefings and was mentioned in Suzuka, and thus the timing of Sainz’s transgression was perhaps unfortunate.
As the FIA stewards in Japan noted “he experienced discomfort due a stomach issue which delayed his appearance on the grid,” as confirmed by his doctor. Nevertheless he landed a €20,000 fine, with half of it suspended.
Asked about the subject in Bahrain on Thursday Sainz made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the turn of events.
“I think I’m the biggest supporter of punctuality,” he said. “And being – in a way – a gentleman, being punctual to things, and especially a national anthem, with all the authorities there. So I was the first one to put my hand up and say, ‘I’m late, I’m sorry for that.’
“At the same time, I was five seconds late. And to be five seconds late and have to pay €10,000 or whatever the fine is, for me, it is out of the question that we are having to pay these fines.
“I don’t know if I’m going to get another fine for saying this, but shit happens. It’s the way it is, it’s the way it goes sometimes. I mean, €10K is—you guys know what €10K is. And for five seconds, it’s disappointing.
“As I’ve always said, I hope someone tells me where this €10K goes. And they say, ‘OK, at least it went to a nice cause,’ and I will be looking forward to seeing where they go.”
As noted last weekend, drivers are pretty busy either side of the ceremony with comfort breaks, and sometimes logistics make their lives difficult.
Sainz’s fellow GPDA director George Russell agreed that it’s not always straightforward to get to the anthem ceremony.
“I totally appreciate that we have a duty to be there for the national anthem,” said the Mercedes driver. “It’s not quite as straightforward as people may think for us to be there on time.
“We’re often running to the toilet, and there’s sometimes not toilets available between the time you jump out of a car, and going to the anthem.
“And then you get stopped by some people have agreed, or people asking for a quick interview. It’s not like we’ve got one sole job, and that’s only it. We’re trying to take our moment before the Grand Prix, and being there on that minute is sometimes not straightforward.
“So I appreciate it from F1’s perspective, because it’s a very important moment of the race, but also from a driver’s perspective, there are genuine logistical issues that sometimes you’re literally waiting to get into a bathroom cubicle.”
The Sainz fine is part of a bigger picture of driver frustration with the penalty system, which saw a debate over swearing during the off-season. It will be intriguing to see what the next example will be.
Adam Cooper F1 