Sainz escapes penalty for press conference swearing

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Grand Prix stewards have decided not to investigate Carlos Sainz Jr. for using expletives during Thursday’s FIA press conference. The Williams driver said “s*** happens” when discussing his recent fine for missing Japan’s pre-race anthem ceremony. Sainz, who serves as a Grand Prix Drivers Association director, avoided becoming the first F1 driver penalized under new FIA misconduct rules. The regulations, introduced three months ago, could have resulted in a €40,000 fine (€10,000 base multiplied by four for F1).

The incident follows Sainz’s €10,000 penalty in Japan (with another €10,000 suspended) for arriving five seconds late to the national anthem ceremony, which he attributed to a medical issue. The GPDA has repeatedly criticized the FIA’s fining system for minor infractions.