Carlos Sainz Criticizes FIA for 'Human Error' in Singapore Sprint Qualifying

Carlos Sainz did not mince words when discussing a 'human error' by the FIA during the sprint qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, which inadvertently provided some competitors with extra power. The FIA has acknowledged the mistake, and there is an expectation that protests will follow.

The sprint qualifying session faced an interruption with just over six minutes left in SQ1 after Sergio Perez's Cadillac crash littered the track with debris. This incident led to a technical glitch, mistakenly activating overtake mode, which grants drivers an additional 0.5mJ of energy per lap, offering a considerable speed boost. The mode was disabled only 28 seconds later, post-checkered flag.

Unfortunately for Sainz, he wasn't among the lucky few benefiting from this brief power surge, resulting in him qualifying as the slowest driver. "We only managed one lap," he explained, citing lingering brake issues from FP1 that persisted into SQ1. "I had a few lockups and struggled with the tyres," he added.

Sainz expressed his disappointment further: "Half of the cars did the lap with half a second quicker engine than the others. There was another software issue, and we were on the bad end of it." He questioned why the FIA didn't ensure sporting equity, as they had done previously in Malaysia, where software glitches caused similar disruptions.

The Singapore incident echoes similar chaos from the Malaysian Grand Prix, where a software issue led to multiple cars losing power during the formation laps. The original starting order was controversially reinstated after drivers returned to the pits, despite regulations suggesting otherwise.

When pressed about the brake issues, Sainz remained exasperated. "We did the whole lap with half a second less power than any other lap of the weekend," he lamented, acknowledging that even without the technical glitches, the brake and tyre problems would have impeded their qualifying performance.