Aston Martin files complaint over Carlos Sainz’s return to Qualifying for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, after his car stopped in Q2.
Sainz lost control of his Ferrari at the final corner of the Shanghai International Circuit during the Q2 session, resulting in a collision with the barriers and the deployment of the red flag. Despite this setback, he managed to bring his car back to the track and take it to the pits for a new front wing, allowing him to progress to Q3, the top 10 shootout.
Unfortunately, Sainz’s advancement came at the expense of Lance Stroll, who ended up in 11th place. However, Aston Martin believes that Sainz and Ferrari breached Article 39.6 of the Sporting Regulations.
In response, Aston Martin has lodged a protest and must appear before the Stewards in Shanghai by 6pm local time. Ferrari representatives have also been summoned to respond to Aston Martin’s complaint.
According to Article 39.6, any driver whose car stops on track during qualifying or sprint qualifying session should not be allowed to continue participating in that session.
Race Control acknowledged that Sainz did indeed stop on track after his incident. Aston Martin will argue that his presence in qualifying goes against the explicit decision of Article 39.6.
