Carlos Sainz frustrated after 'snap cost whole qualifying'

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Sainz vents frustration after 'snap cost whole qualifying'

Sainz exited qualifying in Q2 after a pair of spins at Turn 11

Sam Hall

Saturday 4 December 2021 22:44

Carlos Sainz has vented his frustration after a 'sudden snap' of oversteer cost the Ferrari driver the "whole qualifying" session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Sainz set the fourth-fastest time in Q1 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit but was unable to set a representative time in Q2 due to a moment of oversteer that pitched the Spanish driver into a spin.

It resulted in Sainz sliding across the run-off area and clipping a wall with the right-hand side of his rear wing.

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Unable to repair the damage in the limited time available, Ferrari sent Sainz back to the track with the damaged wing which resulted in a second spin due to the disturbed aerodynamics.

"A bit of a shame because obviously, I was coming from a very strong FP3, a very strong Q1 and suddenly this snap in the middle of turn 11 cost me a whole qualifying," explained Sainz.

"In the end, it meant that I stabbed the wall with the rear endplate, a touch I didn't feel in the car. When I looked in my mirror the endplate was completely bent and obviously, the rear wing is not delivering the downforce it should.

"It's something to analyse, something to look into, what I could have done differently because it is a snap of oversteer that I was not expecting.

"This corner has actually been flat for me for the whole of qualifying and for some reason on that lap I lost the rear. But we will look at it and come back from it."

Despite team-mate Charles Leclerc expressing it took him time to bounce back from a heavy shunt at the end, Sainz does not believe he will face the same challenge.

He explained: "Even with the rear wing bent like it was, I was coming on a very strong lap until the rear wing properly gave up so confidence was still there.

"Confidence has been there all weekend. For the last four weekends actually, I have been really strong in quali. In Q1 I was really strong.

"So one small bump in the road but honestly I feel comfortable and I feel happy."