The start of the Austrian Grand Prix has been delayed after Williams driver Carlos Sainz suffered an issue on the grid at the Red Bull Ring.
Sainz had difficulty pulling away from his from his grid slot at the start of the formation lap in Spielberg, with the Spaniard reporting an issue with his car.
Carlos Sainz out of Austrian Grand Prix after Williams issue delays start
He said over team radio: “The car is stuck in first gear.”
A short time later, he added: “Something is stopping the car from moving forward. Car is stuck.”
His race engineer replied: “Copy, I’m just checking what we can do.”
Carlos Sainz vs Alex Albon: Williams head-to-head scores for F1 2025
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates
👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
Sainz eventually got going as the rest of the field, led by the pole-sitting McLaren of Lando Norris, approached the main straight.
However, as the team’s mechanics were unable to cross the track while stationary, the decision was taken by FIA’s Race Control to delay the start.
Sainz returned to the pit lane, where his car caught fire before being informed that he would not be taking the start.
“Game over, Carlos. Jump out,” he was told.
The revised formation lap is due to begin at 1415 local time in Austria.
More on Carlos Sainz and Williams from PlanetF1.com
Sainz joined Williams ahead of the F1 2025 season after a successful four-year stint with Ferrari, where he claimed all four of his F1 career victories.
The 30-year-old has had a muted start to his first season with his new employer, finishing no higher than eighth across his first eight races for Williams.
Sainz suffered a third consecutive Q3 elimination in Saturday’s qualifying session in Austria, following recent disappointments in Spain and Canada.
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