Video: rear-end snap in turns 9-10 that costs Carlos Sainz pole position for 2024 F1 Australian GP. Carlos Sainz experienced a heavy rear-end snap, resulting in a peak loss of 0.400 seconds.

European Ferrari fans woke up on Saturday morning with an SF-24 car on the front row for the Melbourne GP, which is set to take place tomorrow morning at the Albert Park circuit. However, the car lining up next to Max Verstappen’s is that of Carlos Sainz, the true hero of this race weekend. Just 15 days ago, he underwent appendix surgery, and despite lingering pain, he managed to secure a front-row start. Pole position was well within Carlos Sainz’s reach, but an error in turns 9-10 forced him to settle for second place at the start of the Australian Grand Prix.

From the analysis of telemetry data from the best lap set in the last attempt of Q3, the qualities of this SF-24 and areas for improvement emerge. Comparing the live gap at the bottom of the telemetry data, we can see where Carlos Sainz made the difference.

Telemetry Comparison Q3 Carlos Sainz Vs Max Verstappen – Data by Filippo Pesavento for F1inGenerale

Up to turn 3, the performance difference is negligible, with the two drivers separated by a few milliseconds. The Ferrari driver begins to gain ground precisely in this area where a car’s good handling and cornering are crucial. Max Verstappen’s different interpretation of turns 6-7 pays off as he manages to accelerate earlier and pull away thanks to the excellent aerodynamic efficiency of the RB20. The advantage accumulated here is also confirmed in the subsequent full-throttle section. By the time they reach turn 9, the gap between the two drivers is almost zero, but Carlos Sainz’s mistake in the fast double-direction change ends his pole dreams.

During the entry phase of turn 9, the Spaniard experienced a heavy rear-end snap, resulting in a peak loss of 0.400 seconds. The error cost him dearly until turn 11, where the final sector opens up, and the Ferrari SF-24 returns to the forefront. This is evident from the throttle telemetry where Carlos Sainz manages to keep the throttle more open compared to Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz’s performance in the third sector alone would have allowed him to position himself ahead of everyone with a marginal advantage over Max Verstappen.

Here is the video of the moment Carlos lost pole:

— see video above —

Source: f1ingenerale