Sainz to Start P21 in Australian Gp After Qualifying Power Failure
Sainz will begin the australian gp with significantly less running than his rivals, forced to start from P21 and facing a compromised race preparation. At 4: 00 a. m. ET, Williams’ ERS package issue left him unable to set a lap in Qualifying, sidelining him for Q1 and cutting his weekend mileage.
Carlos Sainz Starts P21 with Only One Full Session of Running
Carlos Sainz completed just one full session over the weekend, finishing FP1 in P12, and then returned to the pits while Williams investigated a mid-FP2 problem. He managed to start final practice but suffered a loss of power on the opening lap and stopped at pit entry, prompting a Virtual Safety Car while his FW48 was recovered. The team could not resolve the ERS package issue before Q1 closed, leaving Sainz without FP2 long runs, FP2 soft-tyre work, FP3 laps or any Q1 running.
Aston Martin Secures Lance Stroll Grid Place After Stewards’ Permission
Lance Stroll was also ruled out of Qualifying and had not recorded any Saturday laps, but the stewards granted Aston Martin permission for him to start the race after the team presented a compelling argument. Stroll completed 16 laps for the weekend, none on Saturday, and his best lap was seven seconds slower than George Russell’s pole time. The stewards’ verdict noted a three-part case from Aston Martin that included Fernando Alonso meeting the 107% threshold in the other AMR26, Stroll’s extensive familiarity with the Melbourne circuit, and prudence related to a damaged oil line described as a power unit issue on the ICE side.
Williams’ ERS Fault and Albon’s Limited Gains Shape Weekend Development
Williams was forced to investigate an ERS issue that left Sainz effectively stranded for Qualifying, while team mate Alex Albon was able to gather more running, including race-simulation laps in FP2. Albon reached P13 in Q1 and went into his final Q2 run in 15th place, but an excursion over the grass invalidated that lap; he said he still saw some clear areas for lap-time gains despite the difficult weekend. Sainz called the weekend “very disappointing” and warned that starting the season without qualifying mileage is not ideal heading into the next rounds.
Honda’s engineering team also reported progress on an Aston Martin battery vibration problem that had affected pre-season running: Honda’s chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said they continue to see signs that battery vibrations have decreased since Bahrain testing and will keep working further on the issue. Aston Martin intends for Stroll to race, though finishing remains uncertain given the earlier reliability concerns.
Next: China is the next scheduled race weekend referenced by Sainz, unconfirmed as of 4: 00 a. m. ET. If Williams resolves the ERS issue before China next weekend, Sainz could regain full mileage and take part in a standard qualifying cycle by that race.
