F1 News: Carlos Sainz 'Gutted' After Last Lap Crash Ruined His Qualifying Session

Alex Harrington | 4 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Carlos Sainz, Jr. of Ferrari reacts after finishing in second place in the Sprint Race at the Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images / Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

In an exhilarating qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix at Austin's Circuit of The Americas, Carlos Sainz found himself losing out at the end of the session due to George Russell's crash. The Spanish driver qualified third in an intense showdown that saw him narrowly miss out on securing an even more advantageous spot on the grid.

Sainz has been a strong driver in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Since making his Formula 1 debut with Toro Rosso, Sainz has demonstrated strong performance by gaining several wins and podium finishes across stints with Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari. As he prepares to move to Williams at the end of the season, Sainz's consistent performance and racecraft has solidified his place on the grid.

During the Austin qualifying session, Sainz displayed a robust performance.

"That was the target, to do a step in qualifying compared to yesterday. Yesterday we were P5, today we are P3, so we have done a good step in the right direction," Sainz said.

The session saw several dramatic moments, including Sainz's last qualifying lap being affected by yellow flags. Despite pushing to improve his lap time, Sainz showed his frustration over the missed opportunity.

"A bit gutted for that last lap because I was three-tenths up on my lap, the 1:32.6, going into Turn 16 with only two corners left. But easy to say now," he shared, pointing out how close he was to potentially advancing further up the grid.

The Austin GP qualifying highlighted the tight competition among the top teams, especially McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari. McLaren's Lando Norris secured pole position, a performance that serves as a notable milestone for McLaren as they continue their bid to assert themselves after years of rebuilding. Max Verstappen clinched second place.

"We have done some good progress," Sainz continued. "And we should be in the fight tomorrow if we get a clean start. Then with the two guys in front it should be a fun one," he ended.

The United States Grand Prix promises to deliver a captivating race this Sunday.

2024 Austin Grand Prix Qualifying Results

(Not including penalties)

1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Carlos Sainz
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Oscar Piastri
6. George Russell
7. Pierre Gasly
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Kevin Magnussen
10. Sergio Perez
11. Yuki Tsunoda
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Esteban Ocon
14. Lance Stroll
15. Liam Lawson
16. Alex Albon
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Valtteri Bottas
19. Lewis Hamilton
20. Zhou Guanyu