Carlos Sainz, penalized: why he will lose places in the French Grand Prix and how many places he will fall back on the grid

The weekend in Austria did not end well for Carlos Sainz and that of French Grand Prix 2022 It didn’t start in the best way for the Spaniards either. After his Ferrari caught fire at the Red Bull Ring, forcing him to retire, the team set out some changes that will affect him ahead of Sunday’s race at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Its principles Cavalinolargely forced by what had happened the previous day, decided that Sainz’s #55 car would be fitted with a new engine.

Why was Carlos Sainz penalized and how many places will he lose?

By installing a new engine, the Spaniard exceeds the limits set by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for which he will be penalised. Initially, he would only make a few changes and lose 10 places on the starting grid. However, on Saturday Formula 1 confirmed that the modification will be comprehensive.

Whatever happens in the qualifiers, Sainz will start from the bottom drawer in Sunday’s race. Although this involves some difficulties, Ferrari have shown that they have a strong and competitive car, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them finish in the top 4.

In the first training session on Friday, the Silverstone Grand Prix winner set the third fastest time, only behind teammate Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. In the second, Sainz lapped in 1m32s527, winning the two overs and maintaining the fastest time. In the third he was again the protagonist: he was second; Verstappen, the 1st.

Sainz’s modifications weren’t the only ones for this GP: Kevin Magnussen Also installed a new motor and will start from below. With his Haas he will no doubt have more trouble than Saige. George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Zhou Guanyu also made engine changes although without reaching the penalty limit.

Day, time, how and where to see the standings of the French GP 2022