Tsunoda and Sainz to Start São Paulo Sprint from Pit Lane After Car Changes

Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Williams' Carlos Sainz will both start the São Paulo sprint race from the pit lane due to unscheduled changes made to their cars under parc fermé conditions.

Why it matters:

Starting from the pit lane in a sprint race, especially at a challenging circuit like Interlagos, severely compromises a driver's chances of scoring points or even making significant progress through the field. For Tsunoda, it caps a dismal start to the weekend, while for Sainz, it extinguishes any slim hope of recovering from a poor qualifying session.

The details:

• Yuki Tsunoda's Woes: Tsunoda's difficult Friday began with a crash just eight minutes into the sole practice session. He clipped a barrier with his front-left wheel, spun, and then hit another barrier with the rear-left. This incident cost him 28 crucial minutes of practice time while his RB21 underwent repairs.
• Lack of Pace: Despite the repairs, Tsunoda struggled for pace in sprint qualifying, managing only 18th on the grid. In stark contrast, his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen was second quickest in SQ1 and will start the sprint from sixth.
• Parc Fermé Breaches (Tsunoda): Ahead of the sprint, Red Bull chose to make significant changes to Tsunoda's car, including replacing the rear wing and making suspension set-up adjustments. These modifications fall outside parc fermé regulations, mandating a pit lane start.
• Carlos Sainz's Struggles: Sainz also had a challenging sprint qualifying, ending up 20th and last after making a mistake in Turn 1 on his final hot lap in SQ1.
• Parc Fermé Breaches (Sainz): Similar to Tsunoda, changes were made to the suspension set-up on Sainz's car, necessitating a pit lane start for the Williams driver as well.

The big picture:

Both drivers' teams opted for these changes in an attempt to optimize their car's performance or recover from damage, despite the penalty. In a sprint format where every position counts, starting from the pit lane makes it incredibly difficult to advance, especially when the field is tightly packed. This puts both Tsunoda and Sainz in a defensive position, likely aiming to gain experience or data rather than significant race positions.

What's next:

With both drivers starting from the pit lane, their focus will likely shift to gathering data and minimizing further issues ahead of Sunday's main Grand Prix. Any progress made in the sprint will be a bonus, but the primary goal will be to avoid incidents and ensure their cars are in good condition for the main event.