How Carlos Sainz is hindered for Sprint Shootout as track limits take their toll in Austria. Carlos disadvantaged for Sprint Shootout.

Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz conceded that the track limits infractions during the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying session had a disruptive impact on his performance, causing implications for his participation in the Sprint Shootout scheduled for today.

A total of 47 laps were nullified by FIA Race Control, with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz bearing the brunt of six deleted laps: one at Turn 6, three at Turn 9, and two at Turn 10.

These deletions forced the Ferrari man to utilize an additional set of tires in Q2, thereby compromising his ability to deploy a fresh set during the crucial final phase of the Sprint Shootout.

“I was a bit thrown off by track limits in Q2. I actually had to run again, we played it safe and we used an extra set,” said Carlos Sainz at the end of the qualifying session which was held yesterday at the 4.318-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg – “Today I’ve used for my six sets of Soft [tyre] due to the track limits issue, so if I get to Q3 on a Soft tyre we’ll use a scrubbed instead of a new which will put me definitely on the back foot.”

In accordance with the Sprint Shootout regulations, drivers are required to utilize a set of Soft tires during SQ3, but it is not mandatory for them to be fresh out of the box.

The FIA has recently made a revision to the rules, allowing drivers to utilize any Soft tire from their weekend tire allocation instead of preserving a new set.

While Carlos Sainz expressed confidence in Scuderia Ferrari’s recent aero updates aimed at enhancing the SF-23 car’s predictability in high-speed corners, he remains cautious in passing final judgment until the Maranello team has completed an entire race distance this weekend in Austria.

The Spaniard explained:

“Overall I was feeling strong with the car, feeling fast all day, which is good carry over from Canada. It does feel quite a step better in the high-speed corners, which was our main limitation in Barcelona. Now we will need to see our race pace, which we know can vary from track to track and we will make sure we try and put together the best possible race.” – Carlos Sainz concluded at the end of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.