Carlos Sainz’s 10-second penalty at Zandvoort turned into a two-week saga that exposed just how messy F1’s penalty system really is. A move that looked like hard racing was first punished, then overturned, leaving fans and drivers asking: if the rules are meant to bring clarity, why do they so often create even more confusion?

The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) has overseen Formula 1 since the first official grand prix in 1946 and the subsequent...