Vettel handed three-place grid penalty in Austria

Vettel had qualified in third place, behind the two Mercedes of polesitter Valtteri Bottas and the Finn’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton but he will now drop to sixth place behind teammate Kimi Raikkonen, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen and Haas driver Romain Grosjean.

In the final minutes of Q2, following a flying lap Vettel passed the slower Sainz and then in turn slowed down himself. However, Sainz was winding up for a final flying lap and quickly closed on the slower Vettel, who was on the racing line. Sainz was forced to take evasive action and his lap was compromised,

Vettel reported that he had been unaware of Sainz’s presence, believing that the Renault driver had returned to pit lane. He added that his team had not informed him of Sainz’s approach over the radio.

Before the incident was reviewed and the three-place grid penalty implemented, Vettel recollected the incident, "I passed him on my fast lap in Turn 7/8, and then I was looking down in the main straight and didn't see him.'

"I was turning into Turn One and thinking he must be there somewhere but as it turned out he was trying to go for a fast lap but I couldn't see him. I wasn't told over the radio so I can only apologise to him. There was no intention, I was looking with my head down the straight."

A little later the FIA stewards found that the Ferrari driver in "Car 5 unnecessarily impeded car 55 at turn 1, which in turn is a Breach of Article 31.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations."

The report added: "Decision Penalty of a drop of 3 grid positions. (1 penalty point awarded, 6 points in total for the 12-month period)."

"The Stewards reviewed the video evidence, team radio and heard from the driver of car 5 (Sebastian Vettel), the driver of car 55 (Carlos Sainz) and team representatives. Car 5 had just finished a push lap and was on an in lap, travelling quite slowly into and around turn 1, on the racing line."

"The driver conceded that he had passed car 55 between turns 7 and 8 but assumed it had pitted after. However, car 55 was actually commencing a push lap and closed on car 5 rapidly along the pit straight and into turn 1. During evidence, the driver of car 55 stated that he felt the driver of car 5 was completely unaware of his approach."

"This was confirmed by the driver of car 5 who stated he was unable to see car 55 in his mirrors and that his team had not informed him of its approach, by radio. The latter was confirmed by the team representative."

"It is the belief of the Stewards that notwithstanding the absence of a radio call, the driver of car 5, being aware of the issue of rear vision with his mirrors, should not have been so slow and on the racing line, during a slowdown lap in Qualification."

"Having reviewed all alleged impeding incidents since the beginning of 2016, the penalty of a drop of 3 grid positions is consistent with all other similar incidents."

"All Competitors are reminded of their right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, as set out in the International Sporting Code and related regulations, including the time limits for such appeals."

The incident is another blow to the German who is trailing Hamilton in the championship standings by 14 points and needs to limit the damage in Austria where the Mercedes have yet to lose a race in four years since the venue returned to the calendar.