Sainz escapes horror smash
200mph crash but he wants to race today
FORMULA ONE held its breath as course marshals removed barriers from on top of Carlos Sainz in his stricken Toro Rosso. The 21-year-old was buried underneath after losing control at 200mph.
Somehow, the young driver avoided a serious injury. A year and five days after Jules Bianchi’s crash in Japan, yesterday’s accident in final practice was the last thing the sport needed.
Despite the high-speed incident, Sainz was conscious at all times, has no fracture and, astonishingly, said he wanted to race today. Even though he missed qualifying, stewards have given him the all-clear to race today pending a final medical check.
Before being released from hospital, he said: ‘As you can see I’m fine.
‘It was just a scare. A big scare but just a scare. I want you to know I was conscious all the time.
‘They’ve done all sorts of tests and I have nothing. A bit of a sore neck and back but with a bit of rest I’m going to try to race.’
Sainz, who is competing at the Russian Grand Prix for the first time, slammed into the wall after speeding through the fastest section of the track. The session was red-flagged and it took marshals and medical crews 20 minutes to extricate Sainz from his car under the TecPro barriers. The ‘energy absorbing blocks’ are designed to hold firm during impact, not submerge the man in peril.
‘We must find a solution because that’s quite dangerous,’ Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said.
Mercedes were the dominant force in qualifying in Sochi. The only surprise was that it was Nico Rosberg, not Lewis Hamilton, who topped the timesheets. Rosberg edged out Hamilton by 0.330 seconds after the Briton made a mistake on his final flying lap.
Valtteri Bottas, of Williams, and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel form the second row, while Jenson Button secured his second best grid position of the season. That he will start down 13 gives you an indicator of McLaren-Honda’s woeful year.