Alex Albon has recently discussed the lack of consistency from the FIA regarding penalties. This comes after his Williams teammate Carlos Sainz recived a harsh 10-second time penalty at the 2025 F1 Dutch GP.
Williams submitted a ‘right of review’ and were successful, with Sainz’s penalty from the Dutch GP being overturned. However, Albon calls for clarification from the FIA, admitting that “It’s still hard to understand what’s allowed and what’s not.”
Alex Albon on whether Sainz’s penalty decision gives drivers’ clarification in terms of the racing guidelines.
During the 2025 Dutch GP, the stewards issued Carlos Sainz a harsh 10-second time penalty after colliding with Racing Bulls driver, Liam Lawson. The contact forced both drivers to pit, ending their chances of scoring any points. The Williams driver was also handed 2 penalty points on his Super License.
However, the FIA have overturned the penalty after Williams’ “right of review” was successful. Although this outcome does little for the Spaniard, except for the removal of his penalty points, Albon was asked whether this has clarified the racing guidelines and rules.
“Yes, I’m still confused. I still don’t really know how to properly race. I mean, you can go a week later and you’re still confused, to be honest. I’m sure we’re going to have a long discussion tomorrow evening about it.“
”What’s great is the FIA are really giving us insight into their decisions and we have good discussion topics about it. It’s not us versus them, it’s very collaborative in terms of what can we do, what can’t we do, why this, why not that.”
“But it’s still, this is me speaking, it’s still hard to understand what’s allowed and what’s not. What’s clear to me in general is the inside line is generally pretty powerful. But then in Monza it wasn’t, I don’t think.
Albon explained that he second-guesses what’s fair on track because of the lack of consistency among the racing guidelines.
A separate incident at the Italian GP in Monza, including Carlos Sainz and Ollie Bearman, also raised questions after the Haas driver was handed a 10-second time penalty. Alex Albon was asked whether this incident and the penalty confused him.
“I thought racing incident, personally speaking, but I didn’t think more of it.”
Raising the question as to whether the guidelines are confusing for the drivers and if they’re applied consistently enough.
“It’s a tricky one, because realistically we want consistency, that’s where all this has started from. And yet, that is what makes it so difficult to regulate, because every situation is different. At the same time, should anyone own a corner? I don’t know. “
“I think there’s always give and take. What’s tricky in karting in junior form is it was always kind of obvious.There was like a gamesmanship. You knew what you could do and what you couldn’t do, just by feeling. You knew what was fair, what wasn’t fair. And now I don’t know what’s fair and what’s not fair in terms of etiquette and driving style. So, that’s the bit that I was struggling with.”
The Williams driver suggests too many regulations can become confusing and “hard to interpret.”
Alex Albon discussed how the inconsistencies from the FIA regarding penalties can happen due to too many regulations that are difficult to understand.
“Then it’s layers and layers and layers and then it becomes this, it’s a book. And it’s hard to know, because really combat, there’s flow to it. There’s give and take, two parties racing against each other.And now it’s hard for me to interpret.”
“But yeah, I don’t think… We all think it’s correct. But at the same time, it’s open-ended .It’s not “this is how it is guys and we think this is the right way to do it”. There is open discussion, which I’m hoping is going to move it forward.”
Alex Albon on more consistency amongst the FIA regarding penalties
Albon has joined the discussion surrounding permanent stewards during F1 seasons. His Williams teammate Carlos Sainz has been vocal about this in the past, following his F1 Dutch GP penalty.
Alex Albon suggested that permanent stewards will make it easier to discuss decisions from previous races with them.
“Yeah, I think so. Just because it’s like everything, you know what you can do, what you can’t do. You get the feeling of what is too far, what’s not too far. Because, I think, even that can change race to race and that’s where it gets quite difficult. “
“If you want to have discussions about the previous race, the stewards generally aren’t there for the next race to talk about the previous ones. So you kind of have to wait two weeks to talk about the one two weeks ago. Stuff like that, it makes it difficult to have that openness around it.”
