Carlos Sainz starts the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint from the pit lane after Williams changes suspension settings under parc fermé following qualifying at Marina Bay.

The Spaniard qualifies last, 22nd, after both Williams drivers drop out in SQ1, extending a difficult weekend for the Grove team.

Brake issues in the sole practice session prompt the change, intended to stabilise entry performance. The revised setup appears suboptimal, potentially skewing ride control and braking confidence.

On his key SQ1 attempt, Sainz locks up at Turn 8 and suffers a power drop, compounding the lap’s limitations against teammate Alex Albon.

Sainz records 1:37.376. Albon posts 1:36.130 to take 19th, underlining Williams’s narrow operating window around low-speed traction and braking zones.

A pit-lane start curtails early progress but guarantees clean air for data gathering across the 21-lap Sprint, supporting setup decisions before grand prix qualifying.

Qualifying rhythm also breaks after a red flag for Sergio Perez’s Turn 5 crash, when Overtake Mode availability becomes inconsistent on the restart.

The FIA attributes this to human error, with Overtake Mode briefly active for 27 seconds before deactivation, as outlined in the FIA’s explanation.

Sainz estimates the power shortfall costs about half a second, exacerbating time lost to the Turn 8 lock-up and sector compromises.

The FIA also notes the problem is separate from a timing-system fault, which further disrupts the session’s consistency.

Williams focuses its Sprint plan on correlation work, prioritising braking stability, traction, and ride over Marina Bay’s bumps and low-speed complexes.

That effort should also inform approaches for the Sprint and refine baselines for the remainder of the weekend amid recent event changes at Singapore.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.