Five minutes into the Spanish Grand Prix at Spain’s new Madrid circuit, 2020 World Champion Fernando Alonso collided with teammate Carlos Sainz, triggering a penalty that saw the Spanish pair finish outside the points.
In‑Race Contact Unfolds at Turn 5
During a hurried attack on lap 14, Alonso was closing on Sainz for 17th place on the approach to the Turn 5 chicane. Sainz drifted right to maintain his racing line, an error that left Alonso’s Aston Martin without a clear escape route. The rear‑right wheel of the Red Bull side clipped the front‑wing endplate of the Aston, leaving a clear, visible damage to the Spanish drivers.
Stewards Ruling and Penalty
The FIA ruled that Sainz moved under braking and should have left more space for Alonso outside. The baseline sanction for that manoeuvre is a black‑white flag, but because contact had already occurred, the stewards converted it into a five‑second time penalty for the misjudged pass. Sainz explained that the corner “has no room for two cars” and that braking “requires a forward focus,” implying the incident was an accident of close racing rather than intent.
Additional Racing Incidents and Final Standings
Earlier at the start, Sainz had already collided with Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls car during the concertina effect into Turn 1; that contact was deemed a normal racing incident. Still, the floor damage from the opening‑lap contact forced Sainz to retire, while Alonso’s race ended at 17th, two laps down. Alonso expressed that the penalty was “unnecessary” and that there was “plenty of room on the left,” but he agreed acceptance of the stewards would leave the matter as it was.
Post‑Race Reactions
Alonso opened the radio to voice his displeasure, stating “At the start, he crashed into two people…Now he squeezed me into the wall in the braking.” Sainz, meanwhile, highlighted that the corner’s locked geometry typically causes incidents, hinting at driver responsibility over the circumstances. With both drivers left outside points, the punishing “penalty” underscored how highly competitive the midfield can become when the track is unforgiving.
The incident closed a weekend where the new Madrid circuit’s layout once again sparked debate about safety and fairness, signalling yet another concussion in the Spanish duo’s collaborative yet intensely personal rivalry.
"