Throughout the warning interval to take away Valtteri Bottas’s stricken Sauber, Sargeant was working down the start-finish straight in 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 break up second in entrance, Sargeant’s pace offset and momentum left him pondering he had received there first so he slotted in forward.
Then, with no suggestions from his pit wall or the FIA over needing to offer the place again, Sargeant was handed a 10-second penalty after the racing resumed for what was dominated an unlawful overtake.
Requested how onerous the state of affairs had been to learn as he charged all the way down to the primary nook, Sargeant mentioned: “There is a little bit of elevation there as properly and I suppose it simply makes issues onerous to see when automobiles are break up by fairly a giant distance.
“To my facet, I believed I used to be method forward. I did not assume 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 method the FIA may possibly give us some suggestions.
“We had been below security automotive for ages, I do not know why they did not simply inform me to offer the place again. Clearly, I might’ve executed so, had they mentioned, however to my data, I believed I used to be method 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 serious 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 security automotive.
Plus, an lack of ability to get the onerous tyre switched on, left him enduring what he mentioned was probably the most “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 robust and once we placed on the medium tyre, we had been in a very good place.
“However we in all probability may’ve executed 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 onerous tyre on, and I could not even get it to modify on, and instantly destroyed the fronts.
“From that time on, it was an enormous, huge battle. Bit confused about that final stint and doubtless probably the most painful ones I’ve had. We’ll see if we are able to do higher going ahead.”