Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was sidelined at the Qatar Grand Prix due to an unresolved fuel leak issue with his power unit.
The Spanish driver had a tumultuous journey to the grid, with a problematic qualifying session and a subsequent fuel system concern.
Sainz was initially slated to begin the race from the 12th position on the grid. His qualifying session was marred by an investigation involving an incident with Max Verstappen and an early elimination in Q2.
The Lusail International Circuit had already proven to be a challenging battleground for Ferrari, leaving Sainz unfazed by his early exit in Friday’s qualifying session.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Reflecting on his difficult qualifying session, Sainz explained, “I had a very difficult quali, right from the beginning.
“Just struggling with the balance.
“The rear was very, very loose, while in FP1, I managed to switch on the tyres and get decent grip on this new surface.”
However, as the track temperature dropped on race day, grip remained elusive, leading to his struggles.
READ: Carlos Sainz slapped with warning after Max Verstappen lashes out
Sainz candidly remarked, “When the track [temperature] dropped this afternoon, I just couldn’t find any grip out there, so I just struggled quite heavily, so I’m not surprised to be out in Q2.”
With Sainz out of the race, his teammate Charles Leclerc was left to battle out for points as Ferrari fights for P2 in the Constructors’ Standings.
Unfortunately for Ferrari, they were beaten by Mercedes again, as George Russell finished in P4 and Leclerc ended the race in P5, with Sainz and Hamilton not classified due to their own respective problems.