Carlos Sainz will not be able to start
A technical problem prevents Carlos Sainz from participating in the Qatar Grand Prix since Ferrari did not have enough time to repair it.
There will only be 18 single-seaters on the Lusail grid. While Sergio Perez must start from the pits, Carlos Sainz will not be able to participate at all. Ferrari announced this via social media: « Due to a problem with the fuel system in his car, Carlos Sainz will not participate in the Qatar Grand Prix. »
It seems astonishing that such a problem was not detected during the checks made following yesterday evening’s Sprint race. But Ferrari’s mechanics estimated that they didn’t have enough time to resolve it before the start.
The Spaniard was to start from the twelfth position on the grid. All Scuderia’s hopes now rest on the only Charles Leclerc, who starts from the fifth position. This does not suit the affairs of Scuderia, engaged in a three-way arm wrestle with Mercedes (24 points behind) and McLaren (69 points ahead).
