Carlos Sainz’s hopes of repeating his strong performance from 2023 at the Singapore Grand Prix were dashed after a dramatic crash in Q3, which he attributed to the challenging tire conditions at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Spaniard lost control of his SF-24 chassis at the beginning of the final qualifying session, suffering heavy damage and setting his race weekend on a difficult course.
The 29-year-old Ferrari driver crashed before even beginning his first flying lap in Q3, labeling the incident as “strange.” Sainz explained that his tires had cooled after letting several cars pass, leading to lower tire temperatures and causing him to misjudge the grip level on his launch lap. “I had a very strange incident in Q3. I had to let a few cars by and had cold tires. I underestimated the cold tires launching the lap. It shows how tricky it is with the tires,” Sainz admitted.
Following the crash, Sainz humorously suggested that “black magic” was behind his misfortune, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the tires on the treacherous street circuit. “The behavior of the tires—I can’t attribute it to anything. I don’t know,” he remarked with a laugh, expressing his disbelief over the incident.
Both Ferrari drivers struggled in Q3, with neither Sainz nor his teammate managing a clean lap, leaving them to start from P9 and P10 on the grid. Facing an uphill battle, Sainz and his teammate will have to fight hard in the 62-lap race to climb the order and salvage points from what has already been a challenging weekend for the Scuderia.
As Ferrari looks to bounce back, Sainz’s crash serves as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the demanding streets of Singapore, where tire management and grip can make or break a race.
