Carlos Sainz Pit Lane Speeding Incident Triggers €1,000 Fine for Williams at Emilia Romagna GP

Carlos Sainz has found impressive form in recent races, but his strong performance in the first practice session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was marred by a costly pit lane mistake that led to a financial penalty for his team, Williams.

During FP1 at Imola, Carlos Sainz was clocked driving at 93.7 km/h in the pit lane—well above the mandatory limit of 80 km/h. This 13.7 km/h speed limit breach, a violation of Article 34.7 of Formula 1’s sporting regulations, resulted in a €1,000 fine for the Grove-based team.

Though minor in financial terms compared to the multi-million euro budgets of F1 teams, the fine underscores the strict enforcement of safety standards within the paddock. Pit lanes are high-risk zones, with dozens of team personnel and media present during practice and qualifying sessions. Speed limits are enforced to minimise danger and maintain a controlled environment.

Carlos Sainz’s infraction came amid an otherwise promising opening session for the Spaniard, who finished third-fastest behind McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The top-three result was a continuation of Carlos Sainz’s recent upswing in performance, as he appears increasingly comfortable in his new environment at Williams following a rocky start to the 2025 season.

After joining Williams earlier this year in what many viewed as a surprising career move, Carlos Sainz struggled to extract performance from the FW47 in the opening races. However, his recent results have shown greater consistency, and his pace in Imola suggests that both driver and team are beginning to find their rhythm.

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Still, the pit lane speeding incident is a blemish in an otherwise smooth session, and a reminder that even experienced drivers like Carlos Sainz are not immune to lapses in judgment. The FIA remains firm in its policing of such infractions, especially given the narrow confines and intense activity of the pit area during race weekends.

Williams, while likely untroubled by the relatively small fine, will no doubt address the incident internally. Team management and race engineers typically remind drivers of pit lane rules prior to sessions, and maintaining discipline in these areas is crucial, particularly for a team striving to rebuild its reputation after years of underperformance.

As the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend unfolds, Sainz will be hoping to convert his strong practice form into a solid qualifying and race result. For Williams, every point counts in a tightly contested midfield battle, and minimising avoidable penalties is an essential part of maximising race weekend outcomes.

Whether the speeding fine proves to be a minor blip or a symptom of larger issues in team operations remains to be seen. Carlos Sainz’s pace remains the headline, while the €1,000 penalty serves as a minor footnote in an otherwise encouraging day for the Spaniard and his team.