Sainz Disqualified from Q2 Due to Impeding Incident in Canadian GP Qualifying
Carlos Sainz expressed frustration following his early exit in the qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix, citing interference from Isack Hadjar, a rookie driver with Williams. Sainz, who had demonstrated competitive pace throughout the practice sessions, was ultimately eliminated in Q1 after failing to advance by a mere 0.020 seconds.
During Q1, Sainz contended that Hadjar’s positioning on the track compromised his qualifying effort. “If in Q1 you arrive and there’s a guy in the middle of the road that completely blows your qualifying away, your weekend is destroyed,” Sainz stated, highlighting his disappointment at starting from 17th place instead of competing for higher grid positions.
Sainz described a sequence of events where he observed Hadjar in the vicinity of Turn 3 as he attempted to set his qualifying time. “I already lost a tenth or two with dirty air… then I had to lift and overtake him,” Sainz explained. This maneuver cost him critical time, resulting in what he called a “wet line in a corner” that contributed to his subpar performance.
Despite being quick in race simulations during the weekend, Sainz remained pessimistic about his prospects in the race. “Right now, my brain is on how disappointed I am with today’s outcome… we were quick in race pace, but we’re still not where we want to be,” he added.
As the grid prepares for the race, Sainz’s focus remains on the missed opportunity of Q2 rather than future strategies. The race will reveal whether he can recover from a significant setback in qualifying.
