Carlos Sainz expressed intense frustration after being eliminated during Q1 of the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying, blaming rookie Isack Hadjar for blocking him during a vital flying lap. The Spaniard, driving for Ferrari, was prevented from advancing to Q2 after he encountered Hadjar’s Williams Racing Bulls car while pushing hard to improve his lap time.

This marked the second consecutive race weekend where Sainz failed to progress beyond the first qualifying phase. The incident occurred as Sainz was attempting a lap he felt would have secured a spot in Q2 or even Q3, making the traffic from Hadjar all the more costly.

Details of the Incident and Sainz’s Reaction

Sainz candidly voiced his disappointment, stating,

“I’m in P17 when I should be fighting for Q3 and top eight, so I’m extremely disappointed.”

He added,

“There’s a guy in the middle of the road that completely blows your qualifying away and that means your weekend is destroyed.”

The unexpected blockage denied him the chance to attain the grid position he aimed for in Montreal.

Hadjar was penalized by the race stewards with a three-place grid drop for impeding Sainz, but this penalty did not lessen the frustration felt by the Ferrari driver. Sainz noticed the rookie had been forcing tactics earlier on, saying,

“That’s not impeding, but he’s giving me a tenth of dirty air just to try, maybe he was on the cut and trying to give me dirty air on purpose.”

Consequences for Sainz and Williams in Montreal

The blocked lap left Sainz just 20 milliseconds off the pace needed to reach Q2. When asked about his outlook for Sunday’s race, he was dismissive, declaring,

“I don’t care about tomorrow right now, my brain is on how disappointed I am with today’s outcome.”

Williams, meanwhile, will look to Alex Albon to carry their hopes in Canada after Hadjar’s penalty dropped the rookie to 12th on the grid. For Sainz, the challenge ahead is daunting as he starts at the back after a qualifying session ruined by an incident outside his control.