Aston Martin has filed a complaint regarding Carlos Sainz’s return to Qualifying for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix after his car came to a halt 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 get his car back on track and make it to the pits for a new front wing, allowing him to proceed to the Q3 top-10 shootout.
Unfortunately, Sainz’s advancement came at the expense of Lance Stroll, who finished in 11th place. Aston Martin, however, believes that Sainz and Ferrari violated Article 39.6 of the Sporting Regulations.
In response, Aston Martin has lodged a protest and must report to the Stewards in Shanghai by 18:00 local time. Representatives from Ferrari have also been summoned to address Aston Martin’s complaint.
According to Article 39.6, any driver whose car stops on the track during qualifying or the sprint qualifying session shootout should not be allowed to continue participating in that session.
Race Control acknowledged that Sainz had indeed stopped on the track after his incident. Aston Martin will argue that his presence in qualifying goes against the explicit ruling of Article 39.6.