Carlos Sainz encountered a mishap during the second part of the qualifying when his Ferrari veered off the final corner, triggering the suspension of the proceedings with a red flag. Despite the setback, Sainz managed to revive his honking machine and complete a full lap back to the pitstop.
The damage was minimal and the Ferrari engineers promptly conducted repairs, allowing Sainz to return to the qualifying circuit. In a successful comeback, he advanced into Q3 and secured the seventh place.
However, a potential dispute is brewing as the FIA has revealed that Aston Martin lodged a protest against the qualifying results. Aston Martin is contesting based on the F1 sporting regulations Article 39.6 stipulation which states: “Any driver whose car stops on the track during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying session shootout will not be permitted to take any further part in that session.”
According to the FIA, Sainz’s car did come to a halt on the track during the red flag period before he managed to reignite his Ferrari and make his way back to the pits. While the regulation aims to discourage drivers from seeking assistance from marshals or recovery vehicles to reenter the session upon a red flag, it does not consider situations where a driver successfully continues under their engine power.
Representatives from Aston Martin and Ferrari are scheduled to meet the FIA stewards for discussions at 6pm local time at the Shanghai circuit.
Lance Stroll, who was the driver who marginally missed the cut off for Q3 with the 11th fastest session time, was observed. The Aston Martin protest might be their tactical attempt to nullify Sainz’s lap times from Q3 and Q2 which would elevate Lance Stroll to the 10th place on the starting grid and shift down the Ferrari driver’s position.
Soon after the qualifying session, Sainz shared his experience: “I just did a simple mistake, hit the inside kerb a bit too hard, and it threw me off line. I touched the gravel on the exit and that caused a spin. But right in the end, I managed to turn the wheel slightly and crash at a less destructive angle – this probably saved the day, because it looked quite dire at one moment.”
Sainz further added: “From that point onwards, I pulled a strong lap in Q2 to rebuild my confidence and thereafter strung together a few decent lap-times.”