F-1: Carlos Sainz loses five places in the starting grid of Azerbaijan and Pérez also suffers a penalty
Sainz secures Q3 from Williams at 2026, but punishment makes him start 14th in Azerbaijan; Pérez drops to 20th and needs to recover early.
Before qualifying: Sainz looking for a strong result at Williams
In Formula One's 2026 season, Carlos Sainz arrived at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix still without having achieved the best possible classification for Williams. The focus was to advance on the grid and turn weekend performance into a more competitive start to this Saturday's race.
Saturday in the standings: ninth position and first go to Q3
Saturday's qualifying session earned Carlos Sainz ninth place on the grid, marking the first time a Spanish Williams driver has made it to Q3 in 2026, within a season where the team was still looking for performance stability.
On the track, ninth place was Sainz's best starting position of the season. The most important fact would come soon after: grid definition did not stop at qualifying times.
After the session: punishment of five positions changes the scenario
After qualifying, Carlos Sainz received a penalty of five positions on the grid.
The penalty does not erase the Q3 result, but reduces the immediate impact of the rider's best qualifying of the season.For Williams, advancing to the last part of the standings remains a relevant fact; for Sainz, the problem is that he will no longer start in ninth place, but rather 14th.
Sergio Pérez also loses position at the start.
Sergio Pérez was also affected by a grid penalty, as the Mexican had taken 19th place but dropped to 20th after being penalized.
For Pérez, losing a position increases the need to recover early in the race, especially at a circuit where overtaking depends on pace, strategy and a clean start.
Current state of the grid
The weekend enters the race phase with Carlos Sainz in 14th place on the grid after a five-place penalty.
Sergio Pérez wide in 20th, after having fallen from 19th place. The current table shows that Sainz's best position of the season 2026 lasted only until penalties were confirmed.
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
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