'Confusion' arises over guidelines following right of review decision

Speaking to the media about the successful appeal over his incident with Liam Lawson in the Netherlands, the Spaniard admitted he feels confused by the stewards’ decision-making process when it comes to discussing a penalty or considering the drivers’ perspective.

According to Sainz, having a single panel of stewards for the entire season would help prevent such issues in the future, as the drivers would already be familiar with the criteria used to make decisions.

Albon, when pressed on the same issue, admitted he still does not have a clear understanding of how drivers are expected to behave during on-track battles.

Finally, he added: “But still — and this is just me speaking — it’s hard to understand what’s allowed and what’s not.”

During the Dutch GP, the Spaniard and Liam Lawson were involved in a collision at Turn 1, with Sainz attempting an overtake on the outside and the Racing Bulls driver, after slightly losing the rear, hitting the Williams and causing a double puncture for both.

Surprisingly, the stewards deemed Sainz responsible, handing him a ten-second penalty and two points on his license.

The British team appealed the penalty a few days later through the right of review, bringing forward new significant evidence that led the FIA to re-examine the incident and annul the two penalty points, while confirming the ten-second sanction.