Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz Missing Opening Day Due to Illness
Carlos Sainz of Williams is sitting out the first day of activities at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as he recovers from an illness. The team confirmed that Sainz will miss Thursday’s setup day, which includes mandatory media commitments and engineering meetings.
Sources indicate that Sainz aims to return for Friday’s FP1, critical as it precedes Sprint qualifying later that day. The Spaniard faced a similar situation in 2024 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he was sidelined due to appendicitis.
Should Sainz remain unfit to compete, Williams has the option to deploy Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, who is present at the venue and available to assist customer teams.
Currently, Sainz is positioned 11th in the drivers’ championship with 38 points, bolstered by a recent podium finish in Azerbaijan and a third-place result in the last Sprint event in Austin.
Notably, the Interlagos circuit saw a driver substitution last year when Kevin Magnussen was ill, leading to Oliver Bearman filling in for Haas throughout the weekend.
