Sainz: ‘Impossible’ to detect fuel system issue before race day

Carlos Sainz says the fuel system issue that sidelined him from the Qatar Grand Prix went undetected due the relatively low levels of fuel run by Ferrari on Friday and Saturday.

During the run-up to last Sunday’s race, the Scuderia mechanics identified a fuel system problem on Sainz’s car and the crews set out to fix the issue before the start of the race.

Sadly, with one hour to go, it became obvious for the team that a timely repair would not be possible, leaving Ferrari with no other choice but to pull out its #55 entry.

A massively disappointed Sainz lamented missing an opportunity to put more points on the board after his recent series of solid runs that included his win in Singapore.

• Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2023 Qatar GP

The Spaniard also noted that the weekend’s sprint format, with only a single practice session on the schedule, deprived Ferrari of an opportunity to spot its fuel system glitch ahead of Sunday.

“Would’ve been nice to take part for sure and see what could’ve happened because it’s a different race to what we are used to normally,” Sainz said.

“Impossible to have seen it before with the fuel levels that we have run this week. It’s a pity.

“[It’s] obviously pretty depressing to find out two hours before the race that you’re not even going to be able to take part after all the preparation that goes into an F1 weekend.

“Motorsport is cruel sometimes and today we got to taste the worst part of it. That’s how it is and we focus on the next five [races].”

Sainz had qualified P12 for Sunday’s event, but the Singapore Grand Prix winner felt confident that he could have progressed up the order on merit while also benefitting from the misfortune that hit some of his rivals.

However, the intra-team clash at the start of the race between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell mitigated somewhat Ferrari’s situation in Qatar where Leclerc finsihed fifth, with Mercedes only outscoring the Italian outfit by 8 points.

The battle for the runner-up spot in F1’s Constructors’ Championship therefore remains open between the two teams.

“It’s not a great situation for sure,” added Sainz. “Today we will lose a big amount of points and opportunities.

“But at the same time there are still five races left so we will focus on that.”

Asked if he was happy with his run to P5 on Sunday evening, Leclerc made clear that he wasn't.

“Happy? No. Because when you see the race of George when he is out in Turn 1 and then manages to finish in front, [I] think it’s a surprise for us the pace of the Mercedes today," said the Monegasque.

“At the end for us it was a bit damage limitation for the race today. Unfortunately, we had Carlos out straight at the start, [and] we had to take a bit more margin with the way I was driving, but all in all we maximised what we could have done.

“No way we could have gone and taken the McLarens, and George, to be honest, probably didn’t push as much as I wasn’t putting him under pressure.”

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