The costly bathroom break of Carlos Sainz in Japan continues to be a topic of discussion during the Grand Prix weekend in Bahrain. The Spaniard received a hefty fine for arriving late to the national anthem in Suzuka due to stomach pain. George Russell, co-chair of the drivers’ union GPDA along with Sainz, hopes for more understanding from the FIA in the future regarding the concerns and logistical problems of the drivers.
Carlos Sainz is the latest victim of the stricter FIA penalty guidelines. The Spaniard was fined €10,000 because, in his own words, he arrived “five seconds too late” for the Japanese national anthem. Sainz was suffering from stomach pain, which was later confirmed by the attending doctors, but the FIA is relentless. The Madrilenian’s tardiness is seen as a violation of “complying with the FIA’s instructions regarding the participation of individuals during official ceremonies”.
Sainz was not happy with the fine, but was able to make a joke about it during the press conference. ‘Shit happens’, said the Williams driver. Sainz is now receiving support from his co-chair of the drivers’ union, George Russell. “That was a pretty expensive toilet visit,” said the Mercedes driver.
Increased Collaboration with the FIA
According to Lewis Hamilton, the incident illustrates that the FIA does not always listen to the concerns of the drivers. “I fully understand that it is our duty to be there for the national anthem,” the Brit continues. “But it’s not as simple as people might think to be there on time. We often run to the restroom and sometimes there are simply no restrooms available between the moment you jump out of the car and the national anthem begins. Then you get held up by a few people on the grid or people asking for a quick interview.”
The GPDA chairman hopes to work better with the FIA and Formula 1 on such issues in the future. “I understand that from the perspective of F1 it is a very important moment of the race, but also from a driver’s perspective there are hard, real logistical issues where you sometimes literally stand waiting to get into a restroom.”
