Carlos Sainz stands out with thirteenth place in Sepang Qualifying

Saturday, 3 October 2026:

- Free Practice 3: P18, 1:38.716, 21 laps

- Qualifying: P13, 1:37.527, 12 laps

• Carlos Sainz surpassed all expectations by setting the thirteenth fastest time in the Qualifying session of the Bahrain GP, despite the fact that Sepang is a tough circuit for the characteristics of the FW48.
• The Williams driver made the cut comfortably in Q1 (1’37”651) and in Q2 he found another tenth to wrap up the day with his best lap of the weekend: 1:37.527.
• The Spaniard braces himself for a race where tyre management is set to play a crucial role, given the degradation seen so far in Malaysia. The weather forecast doesn’t include rain.

QUOTES:

“It was a good qualifying today, doing some of the best laps I’ve done this season, given the limitations of our car. I was able to find a baseline that worked well, allowing me to be precise and consistent out there, and improving every lap. We’ve done a good job today although tomorrow will be tough given our lack of downforce, making it difficult to take care of the tyres. We’ll do our best to take any opportunities that come our way”.

COMING UP:

Sunday, 4 October 2026:

- Race: 15:00 local time (09:00 CEST)c