Sainz Faces Early Exit in Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying Due to Car Damage
Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, will start the Austrian Grand Prix from 19th position after experiencing significant car damage during qualifying. The incident became evident when Sainz reported over the team radio that the FW47 was "undriveable," attributing issues to the car’s floor and brakes.
Post-qualifying, Sainz confirmed to Motorsport.com that the team had verified damage to the car’s floor. "I don’t know exactly where, because it’s not like I went off the track, but something must have fallen off and we lost a lot of downforce," he stated.
Sainz detailed further challenges with his brakes, which were problematic from the outset of qualifying, pulling to one side during braking. "Given the amount of pulling that I had to one side every time I hit the brakes, something must have not been correct," he explained, highlighting that the team changed brake setups prior to the session.
His teammate, Alex Albon, managed to progress to Q2, underlining the team’s potential. Sainz noted, "Given where Alex was and we’d been on par all weekend, I think Q2 was definitely possible."
Looking ahead, Sainz expressed the need for the team to address ongoing struggles, particularly with soft tire performance. "My race pace is good… but we need to start investigating what’s going on," he remarked when questioned about strategies for the race.
This qualifying exit marks another setback for Sainz as Williams seeks to improve its performance in the highly competitive midfield.
