FIA sets date for Williams right of review hearing after F1 Dutch GP penalty

The Williams and Racing Bulls Formula 1 teams have been summoned for a virtual hearing with the FIA stewards to discuss Carlos Sainz’s penalty from the Dutch Grand Prix.

Sainz clashed with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson at Turn 1 during the Zandvoort contest, an incident which earned the Williams racer a 10-second penalty.

Sainz was incensed by taking the blame for the collision and Williams later submitted a right of review to the FIA to revisit the incident, saying it was “important for us to understand how to go racing in future, and we are hopeful of a positive outcome”.

The stewards have now set a Friday 12 September date for the hearing, which will be attended by team representatives from both Williams and Racing Bulls.

In the first part, the stewards will judge whether or not Williams’ right of review is admissible, in which case a second hearing will judge the incident itself.

In order for a right of review to be admissible, the party in question must deliver evidence that answers three criteria: it must be significant, relevant, and unavailable to the stewards at the time of their decision.

“The team representative is required to report to the Stewards on Friday 12th September 2025, at 15:30 CEST in relation to the above,” the FIA summons read.

“The hearing will be held virtually via video conference, details of which will be provided by separate communication.

“It should be noted that this Hearing will be held in two parts. The first part will be to hear evidence and submissions from the petitioner as to whether there is a ‘significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the party seeking the Review at the time of the Decision concerned’.

“Should the Stewards determine, in accordance with Article 14.3 of the FIA International Sporting Code, that such an element exists, a second part of the Hearing will be convened at a time to be advised, in all likelihood shortly after the first part of the Hearing. Any other ‘concerned party’ may seek the permission of the Stewards to appear.”

Given the stewards had access to the required footage to hand out the penalty at the time, it appears unlikely Williams’s request will be granted.

But Sainz’s collision did reignite the debate around F1’s contested racing guidelines, which are still causing division among drivers and were a point of discussion on Friday’s drivers’ briefing at last week’s Italian Grand Prix.

Under the current guidelines, Lawson was not required to leave any room for Sainz on the outside because he was ahead at the apex, which allowed him to gradually open up the steering and force the Spaniard off the road.