AUSTIN, Texas -- Carlos Sainz has received a five-place grid penalty at the Mexico Grand Prix for colliding with the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix.
The Williams driver was attempting to pass Antonelli on the inside of Turn 15 for seventh place when he locked his brakes and caused contact at the apex.
Sainz retired from the race as a result of damage to his car, while Antonelli dropped down the order and eventually recovered to 13th.
In line with the Driving Standards Guidelines used by the stewards to adjudicate on collisions, Sainz was found to be at fault for the collision and given a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his superlicence.
Because Sainz failed to finish the race, the time penalty was converted into a five-place grid penalty at next weekend's Mexico Grand Prix.
"Car 55 [Sainz] attempted an inside overtake on Car 12 [Antonelli] at Turn 15 and a collision between the two cars occurred at the apex," the stewards' statement said. "The driver of Car 55 maintained that he had expected the driver of Car 12 to leave him space at the apex but Car 12 turned in early and Car 55 locked brakes when it became clear that a collision was unavoidable.
"He suggested that the driver of Car 12 ought to have anticipated an overtake attempt by Car 55 and left space to avoid contact. However, at no point prior to the apex was the front axle of Car 55 alongside or ahead of the mirror of Car 12.
"Therefore, according to the Driving Standards Guidelines, Car 55 had not earned a right to be left space at the apex. The Stewards therefore determine that the driver of Car 55 was predominatly to blame for the collision and a penalty is applied accordingly."
