In the course of the warning interval to take away Valtteri Bottas’s stricken Sauber, Sargeant was working down the start-finish straight in the direction of Flip 1 as his Haas rival emerged from the pits following a change of tyres.
However whereas Hulkenberg reached the essential security automotive line that determines the working order a cut up second in entrance, Sargeant’s pace offset and momentum left him pondering he had obtained there first so he slotted in forward.
Then, with no suggestions from his pit wall or the FIA over needing to present the place again, Sargeant was handed a 10-second penalty after the racing resumed for what was dominated an unlawful overtake.
Requested how exhausting the state of affairs had been to learn as he charged right down to the primary nook, Sargeant mentioned: “There is a little bit of elevation there as properly and I suppose it simply makes issues exhausting to see when automobiles are cut up by fairly an enormous distance.
“To my aspect, I assumed I used to be manner forward. I did not suppose it was even shut so, to me, it was no dialogue. So, to listen to about that on the finish of the race was a bit unusual. I do not know if there’s any manner the FIA might perhaps give us some suggestions.
“We had been underneath security automotive for ages, I do not know why they did not simply inform me to present the place again. Clearly, I’d’ve finished so, had they mentioned, however to my data, I assumed I used to be manner forward.”
Sargeant’s subsequent 10-second penalty dropped him to seventeenth within the remaining classification, and got here on the finish of a weekend the place he struggled to search out constant efficiency from his Williams – having complained in qualifying the automotive felt “disconnected”.
A significant set-up change for the race prompted a pitlane begin and, whereas there was some encouraging early tempo, he thinks circumstances labored in opposition to him with the timing of the protection automotive.
Plus, an lack of ability to get the exhausting tyre switched on, left him enduring what he mentioned was one of the crucial “painful” stints he has skilled in F1.
“There have been good moments, dangerous moments,” he mentioned. “I feel the beginning of the race on the softs was sturdy and after we placed on the medium tyre, we had been in a very good place.
“However we most likely might’ve finished with out that security automotive as a result of we might’ve gone medium, medium and that might’ve suited us a lot better.
“We put the exhausting tyre on, and I could not even get it to change on, and instantly destroyed the fronts.
“From that time on, it was a large, large wrestle. Bit confused about that final stint and possibly one of the crucial painful ones I’ve had. We are going to see if we will do higher going ahead.”
