Carlos Sainz ‘gutted’ after last-lap crash ruined his qualifying session

An exciting qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin saw Carlos Sainz lose out late in the session due to George Russell’s crash. The Spanish driver qualified third in an intense clash, narrowly missing out on 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 shown strong performances, taking several wins and podium finishes during stints with Renault, McLaren and Ferrari. As he prepares to move to Williams at the end of the season, Sainz’s consistent performances and racing ability have cemented his place on the grid.

During the qualifying session in Austin, Sainz showed a robust performance.

“That was the goal, to take a step in qualifying compared to yesterday. Yesterday we were in P5, today we are in P3, so we have taken a good step in the right direction,” said Sainz.

The session had several dramatic moments, including Sainz’s final qualifying lap which was affected by yellow flags. Despite pushing to improve his lap time, Sainz showed his frustration at the missed opportunity.

“A bit gutted for that last lap because I was three tenths ahead on my lap, the 1:32.6, going into Turn 16 with only two corners to go. But that’s easy to say now,” he said, pointing out how close he was to potentially moving further up the grid.

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

“We have made good progress,” Sainz continued. “And we should be in contention tomorrow if we get a clean start. Then with the two guys up front it should be a fun one,” he finished.

The United States Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race next Sunday.

(Excluding fines)

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 walk
15. Liam Lawson
16. Alex Albon
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Valtteri Bottas
19.Lewis Hamilton
20.Zhou Guanyu