Carlos Sainz was at the centre of a bizarre miscommunication with his Ferrari team in Las Vegas, telling them to “wake up” after a dangerous last-minute change of plans.
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After pleading to make a pit stop, the 30-year-old was given the all-clear from Ferrari to pull in quickly for one – until he wasn’t.
Sainz was forced to pull out of the visit after crossing the thick white line to enter the pits, before swerving back out onto the track on the advice of his team on radio.
“Wake up guys!” he yelled into the radio after his team told him they still weren’t ready for his arrival.
The FIA’s decision to not penalise Sainz or Ferrari for the “slam dunk” was surprising to say the least, with binary ordeals such as pit lane speeding, jump starts and starting out of position relatively straightforward penalties.
“That’s one of the fundamental rules,” Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle said after seeing the blunder.
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Oscar Piastri was looked upon far less favourably however for his innocent mistake earlier on.
He finished in seventh, while Sainz rounded out the podium in third place.
The F1 will hit Qatar next weekend in the penultimate race of 2024.
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