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Chinese Grand Prix qualifying red flagged after unusual HIGH SPEED crash

Carlos Sainz spun out at the Shanghai circuit

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Saturday 20 April 2024 09:56 Updated: 10:01

Carlos Sainz suffered an unusual high speed crash during Chinese Grand Prix qualifying, after making a rare error following an excellent start to the season.

The Ferrari star, who after finding out his seat for 2025 was being filled by Lewis Hamilton, was touring the Shanghai circuit in Q2 before spinning at the final corner and crashing out.

However, despite careering into the barrier and breaking his front wing, he managed to restart his car to limp back to the pit garage - giving him a chance to continue with the red flag buying him time for car repairs.

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Carlos Sainz gets lucky

His Ferrari mechanics managed to fix the Spaniard's car under the red flag conditions, allowing him to make the restart of the session with just under seven minutes left following a short delay.

The Spaniard made the most of his reprieve eventually getting through into Q3 in the final moments having initially not set a time during the session

Sainz's crash occurred during an already manic session, where Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 for the first time in two years after struggling for pace in his Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Carlos Sainz Chinese Grand Prix