Ferrari has appealed to the governing body for review rights in response to a five-second penalty awarded to Sainz for tagging Fernando Alonso during the final restart of the race in Melbourne.
It was part of several restart incidents that culminated in the grand prix ending after the safety car, with hordes of cars causing Sainz to drop from fourth to 12th in the final standings due to penalties.
Ferrari boss Fred Vassell has revealed his team will appeal the decision after Sainz was awarded a penalty before either the driver or the team defended.
But the FIA rejected Ferrari’s petition on the grounds that the team had not brought “important and relevant new information that would not have been available to the parties seeking to review it when the relevant decision was taken.”
Stewards found Sainz was “solely responsible” for the collision with Aston Martin driver Alonso, who eventually reclaimed third as the safety car classification that determined the final result was based on the order of the previous restart grid Minus the crash.
It was concluded after a virtual hearing with the FIA that even allowing for the increased likelihood of an accident on the first lap of the restart, Sainz had “sufficient gaps” to take evasive action, but he “didn’t this way”.
Ferrari presented its case based on telemetry data, Sainz’s witness statements and statements from other drivers provided in post-race media interviews.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
Photography: Ferrari
Such evidence, in the form of oral testimony and additional data, has previously been used by Force India to overturn similar accusations, as cited by Ferrari.
The example of Force India comes from Sergio Perez’s final-lap encounter with Felipe Massa at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix, with the Mexican being sent five places back for his next race in Austria.
But the FIA found the “real situation” in Australia to be “significantly different” from the arguments in favor of the Scuderia, notably the Force India driver who was taken to hospital after the crash, so could not provide their version for a post-race decision.
But this time around, the stewards were content to penalize Sainz while the race was still in progress and saw no need for the 2022 British Grand Prix winner to make a statement.
These faster decisions are made “routinely” and are “encouraged” when the cause of a collision is known so that penalties can be issued “as soon as possible”.
The FIA also decided that the additional telemetry data provided by Ferrari was “ambiguous at best” in exonerating Sainz, but instead “confirmed” a decision he was entirely at fault.
Sainz did argue that he braked harder at Turn 1, but because of the slow formation lap at the restart, he was on cooler Pirelli tires – a complaint from many drivers – and he was unlikely to avoid Drive Alonso. He also said low sunlight had affected visibility.
The FIA pointed out that providing braking points does not constitute significant new information and that all drivers will have to make do with the same situation.
The decision reads: “The track and tire conditions are something that each competitor needs to consider and adapt to.
“When (Pierre Gasly) tried to brake late during the race, (Sainz) took the risk that he lost control of the car as a driver.
“In this case, that risk materialized, then there was a collision, and then there was a penalty.”
Sainz took to social media on Tuesday night to express his disappointment with the FIA’s decision.
Sainz wrote: “Very disappointed that the FIA has not granted us review rights.
“After two weeks, I still think the penalty is disproportionate and I think it should at least be reviewed in light of the evidence and reasoning we have presented.
“We have to continue to work together to improve certain things for the future. Consistency and the decision-making process have been a hot topic for many seasons and we need more clarity for the sake of our own sport.
“What happened in Australia is now a thing of the past and I am 100 per cent focused on the next game in Baku.”