The man from Madrid, fourth in the first free practice sessions, will have to push in the sprint format of the Brazilian GP
MADRID, 11 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) was sanctioned this Friday with five positions on the grid of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the one on Sunday after the sprint formation was decided this Saturday, for making a new engine change.
The man from Madrid received the penalty for his sixth change in the power unit of his Ferrari ahead of the penultimate round of the World Cup. Thus, Sainz’s goal of ending the year with a victory is a little more complicated, in a weekend that is celebrated with the sprint format: qualifying this Friday after FP1 and sprint race on Saturday to decide the grid on Sunday .
Sainz, who left in Suzuka and Austin, was fifth two weeks ago in Mexico suffering and without options to approach Red Bull and Mercedes. Ferrari therefore made this new engine change, in addition to the eighth exhaust system, and the Madrid driver will have to seek maximum performance from it to minimize damage to the grid in order to qualify for victory on Sunday.
The Spanish rider started the Brazilian event with a fourth place this Friday in the first and only free practice session. Little information for the drivers on the complicated Sao Paulo track, where the fastest was the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull).
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari was third while world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who is looking to stretch his record to 15 wins this season, was third. Sainz followed them in less than two tenths, with everything open in Brazil. Also Spanish Fernando Alonso (Alpine) was eleventh but with a medium tire.
The double world champion, with fond memories of Interlagos, is sure to have an ace up his sleeve in a sprint format in which he has already left good performances. The qualification will be this Friday at 8:00 p.m., Spanish peninsular time, in search of the starting positions for the sprint on Saturday, which will give order to the GP.