PALMER’S ANALYSIS: Was Sainz's five-second penalty in Melbourne too harsh or fair punishment?


The Australian Grand Prix was a dramatic extravaganza full of moving parts that the drivers had to negotiate to survive to the chequered flag. If you managed that, you were likely to be scoring points by dusk on Sunday.
One driver who was in the thick of the action throughout was Carlos Sainz, whose Grand Prix comprised of the good, the bad and the unlucky – ultimately yielding no points for him or the Ferrari team after Charles Leclerc’s lap one clash.

Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free.
Membership gets you closer with:
Curated insider content
Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences
Member benefits, rewards and offers
Next Up
Related Articles
QuizWhich teams gave these drivers their F1 debut?
Tech WeeklyRevisiting the best cars from every decade in F1 history
Stella surprised by level of McLaren's dominance in 2025
Hamilton shares more about his special Ferrari documents
New immersive racing experience F1 Box to open in London
Ricciardo reveals how he earned ‘Honey Badger’ nickname