Offbeat news from the world of sport
Thank you for subscribing!
Offbeat news from the world of sport
We have more newsletters
F1 star Carlos Sainz was prevented from taking part in Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix after the Ferrari driver was ruled out of minutes before it got underway.
Ferrari confirmed a fuel system issue was to blame for the Spaniard's absence from the grid in a crushing blow to the manufacturer. Sainz finished sixth in Saturday's sprint session and was due to start 12th on the grid but was instead forced to watch Sunday's race from trackside.
It's a miserable turn of events for the 29-year-old and his team, who have endured a largely forgettable 2023 campaign thus far. Sainz recently claimed his first podium finish of the season before sealing a surprise win in Singapore, but he and team-mate Charles Leclerc have been way off Red Bull's pace for the most part.
That void was cemented on Saturday when Max Verstappen put the finishing touches on his third straight title win. The Dutchman was declared 2023 champion with six races remaining after team-mate Sergio Perez crashed out of the sprint race.
Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravtiz was in the paddock at Lusail International Circuit and confirmed the outlook appeared poor for Sainz's SF-23 less than an hour before the race was due to start. Team principal Frederic Vasseur gave the journalist a telling shake of the head when Kravitz asked if all was okay, and Sainz was ruled out of the race shortly afterwards.
It's the first time this season either Ferrari driver has been prevented from starting a race. Sainz sat fifth in the drivers' standings ahead of Sunday's GP, and the onus now falls on Leclerc to earn his side points without any aid.
More to follow.
This is a breaking sports story and is being constantly updated with the latest news, pictures and videos. Please refresh the page regularly.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest sports stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our sports newsletter.
Get all the very best sports news, pictures, opinion and video by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Google News – CLICK HERE and click the star
Follow Daily Star on Apple News – CLICK HERE available on Apple devices
Follow Daily Star on Flipboard – CLICK HERE and click follow
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @DailyStar_Sport and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see sports stories, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook.
- F1
- Ferrari F1
- Breaking News
Source: Read Full Article