Carlos Sainz picks out the F1 driver he sees as most dangerous after recent incidents

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Over the past year, Carlos Sainz has earned just two penalty points – a record that ranks among the best in Formula 1.

Four drivers still have clean records: Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, and Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls. George Russell is also near perfect, with just one point to his name.

Sainz finds himself in a group that includes Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion went 51 races without a penalty point before being cited for speeding under yellow flags at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Haas rookie Oliver Bearman currently leads the list with 10 points, putting him dangerously close to the 12-point threshold for a race ban. Max Verstappen sits second with nine points.

Carlos Sainz calls Liam Lawson the most dangerous driver in F1 right now

Sainz was given two penalty points following a collision with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson at Zandvoort. The incident, which occurred at turn one and left both drivers with punctures, also resulted in a 10-second time penalty for the Spaniard.

Williams successfully appealed the decision, leading to the penalty points being removed after it was determined to be a racing incident.

Lawson currently sits third in the penalty points standings behind Bearman and Verstappen. He’s been found responsible for four collisions over the past year and Sainz named him as F1’s most dangerous driver during a quickfire segment on El Partidazo de COPE.

“Given the recent incidents, I would say Lawson,” Sainz said. When asked who he thought was the rudest driver on the grid, Sainz avoided naming anyone: “It’s hard to say. Spare me. It’s a commitment for me, I’ll run into him at the drivers’ briefing!”

Liam Lawson’s penalty point history and criticism from Fernando Alonso

Lawson picked up two of those points in Bahrain, while the other incidents came in different rounds of the calendar.

Fernando Alonso didn’t hold back after a clash with Lawson in Miami, saying the Racing Bulls driver ruined his race with a move that was never going to work.

His two crashes at the Singapore Grand Prix added more pressure. Lawson has developed a reputation for being aggressive since stepping into F1 full-time last autumn.

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He’s already frustrated drivers like Alonso and Sergio Perez – who he briefly replaced at Red Bull. While Helmut Marko appreciates an aggressive approach, there’s a line between racing hard and causing unnecessary trouble on track.