Sainz hit with five-place grid penalty for Azerbaijan GP

Carlos Sainz has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after stewards determined he failed to sufficiently slow down under yellow flags during Qualifying. Despite Sainz's argument that he performed a 'global lift' across the sector, telemetry data showed he did not reduce speed in the fourth marshalling sector. As a result, Sainz drops from ninth to 14th on the grid. He also received two penalty points, bringing his 12-month total to four, as officials emphasized that the requirement to reduce speed under yellow flag conditions is mandatory and independent of a driver's personal assessment of the hazard.