Sainz faces punishment for crossing track after Singapore Q3 crash

Carlos Sainz is under investigation for walking across a live Formula 1 track after his crash in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver slammed into the barriers at the final corner of the Marina Bay track with just over eight minutes of the session remaining.

Sainz, who was unhurt from the accident, climbed from his stricken car and, with the session red-flagged, walked across the track to reach the pitlane entrance.

Speaking about the incident, Sainz admitted it had been his mistake: “I had a bit of a strange exit in there. Had to let a lot of cars through opening my lap and my tyres were just a lot colder than I thought they would be. I misjudged the grip going on the bump on 17, and it completely snapped on me. Driver mistake.

“I underestimated the grip I would get launching the lap – I was already under pressure with another car coming, and I knew that launching the lap I was already going to be slower because of the… approaching the last corner so slow. So it meant that I, yeah, tried to do something that was not enough grip to do.”

However, he will now be hauled to the stewards for crossing the track on foot while vehicles were deployed to repair the damage and recover his Ferrari.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, walks away from the car after crashing in Qualifying

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

It was a similar incident to the Qatar Grand Prix last year when Lewis Hamilton was fined €50,000 – half of which was suspended for the rest of the year – and served with a reprimand.

Hamilton had tangled with George Russell into Turn 1 at the start of the Losail race broke his right-rear wheel and ended his race.

While the race was placed under the safety car, Hamilton crossed the live circuit from the outside of Turn 1 to the pitlane, just seconds before Russell emerged from the pits.

On that occasion, the FIA stewards summoned Hamilton, who apologised before the governing body issued their verdict, saying: “During the hearing the driver of Car 44 was very apologetic and realised that the situation could have been very dangerous for him as well as the drivers approaching.

“The Stewards reinforced the fact that crossing a live track can cause extremely dangerous situations and the drivers have to be very cautious about it.”

However, a week after the race, the FIA reopened its investigation because it felt the incident was much more serious than perhaps originally thought.

There was a feeling that penalties for drivers crossing a live track should be much greater for it felt that it was sending the wrong impression on younger drivers.