Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll were not even able to take to the track during Q1 of the Australian Grand Prix. The two drivers will therefore start from the back of the grid on Sunday.
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The qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix held its share of surprises and disappointments. On the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, several drivers had an extremely complicated start during the first part of qualifying.
Among the unluckiest were Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll. Neither was able to leave his garage during Q1, which automatically condemns them to start from the back row of the grid for the race.
A particularly frustrating scenario for the two drivers, who simply did not have the opportunity to defend their chances on track.
Problems begin as early as practice for Sainz
For Carlos Sainz, the trouble began well before the qualifying session. The Williams driver encountered a mechanical problem during the third free practice session.
As he was finishing a stint, the Spaniard had to stop his car at the entrance to the pit lane. The incident immediately caused concern in the British team’s garage.
Mechanics tried to repair the car in the hours that followed, but the damage proved too significant. Despite all the team’s efforts, the car could not be restored in time to participate in Q1.
Result: Sainz was not even able to record a timed lap and finds himself relegated to the back of the grid for Sunday’s race.
Stroll victim of an engine problem
The situation was no more favorable for Lance Stroll. The Canadian driver was also forced to withdraw even before the start of the session.
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The Aston Martin driver had already encountered issues during the third free practice session, during which he had not been able to complete a single lap.
Investigations carried out by the team revealed an engine problem that could not be resolved in time for qualifying. Faced with this failure, Stroll was therefore unable to join the track when the session began.
Like Sainz, he will therefore have to start from the back of the pack during the race.
Other notable eliminations in Q1
The first part of qualifying also saw several other drivers leave the session prematurely. Among them was notably Max Verstappen, victim of an off-track excursion after a spin at the last corner, which sent him into the barriers.
Double world champion Fernando Alonso also failed to qualify for Q2.
Finally, the two drivers from the Cadillac team, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, complete the list of those eliminated during this particularly eventful Q1.
With several favorites in difficulty from qualifying onwards, the starting grid for the Australian Grand Prix already promises a race full of uncertainty and potentially rich in twists and turns.
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