Sainz: Strict Sochi penalty means "you cannot race anyone"

Sainz and Palmer were dicing for position midway through the race at Turn 3, appearing to touch as the Briton's Renault RS16 was run out wide.

The stewards did not approve of Sainz's driving in the battle, giving him a 10-second penalty that demoted the Spaniard from 11th to 12th in the classification, as well as giving him two penalty points on his license.

Sainz, however, believes the stewards' decision to be completely wrong.

"First of all, at the exit of Turn 2, if you want to pass, you go on the inside for Turn 3," Sainz explained.

"But he [Palmer] decided to go round the outside and I was never expecting him.

"I was looking in my left mirror to see him, suddenly he loses the car on the dirty part of the exit of Turn 2, and we crash. Then is when I felt ‘oh, there’s someone on my right, he’s not on my left’.

"I’ve just watched the video - first he loses the car, then we touch and then he goes wide. Then I think the stewards interpreted that I forced him off the track.

"But anyway, a 10-second penalty for this kind of accident, for me, you cannot even race anyone."

Toro Rosso not hiding disappointment

Sainz admitted that both himself and the team were not at all happy with the results of the first four grands prix of the season.

Due to its 2015-spec power unit, Toro Rosso is expected to be at its peak early in the season, but the team has yet to make the most of the opportunities as it sits sixth in the standings with 17 points.

"We are not hiding it. We are very disappointed with the way these first four races went," Sainz said.

"But anyway, it’s still a long season ahead. Hopefully the others don’t come to Barcelona with a massive engine step and we can still fight everyone.”