FP3: Sainz ‘conscious’ after high-speed crash

Editor

Carlos Sainz suffered a huge crash in final practice for the Russian GP bringing out the red flags in a session that was topped by Nico Rosberg.

Following the diesel drama and rain from Friday, the drivers were determined to get in as much running as possible in FP3.

However, that came to a premature end just past the halfway point when Sainz suffered a horrific crash.

The Toro Rosso driver appears to have lost it under braking into Turn 13 and hit the outside wall.

From there he went straight on through the run-off area before his car was buried under the tec-pro safety barriers.

Medics and marshals were quickly on hand to extricate the Spaniard while Toro Rosso were unable to give Max Verstappen an update on his team-mate as Sainz’s STR lost power and its radio communications.

Minutes later the FIA reported that the “driver is conscious”.

Shortly after Sainz seen extracted from his car and on a backboard as he was loaded into the waiting ambulance. He gave a thumbs up.

With 15 minutes on the clock Race Control declared that the session would not be restarted.

As such Rosberg finished P1 with a 1:38.561.

That put him 0.726s up on Valtteri Bottas while Lewis Hamilton was third, 0.802s down.

Times
1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:38.561 15 laps
2 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:39.287 +0.726 17 laps
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:39.363 +0.802 13 laps
4 Sergio Perez Force India 1:39.616 +1.055 14 laps
5 Felipe Massa Williams 1:39.875 +1.314 14 laps
6 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:39.917 +1.356 14 laps
7 Jenson Button McLaren 1:40.581 +2.020 12 laps
8 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:40.767 +2.206 13 laps
9 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:41.200 +2.639 11 laps
10 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:41.229 +2.668 14 laps
11 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull 1:41.358 +2.797 15 laps
12 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:42.297 +3.736 11 laps
13 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:42.371 +3.810 14 laps
14 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:42.450 +3.889 14 laps
15 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:42.683 +4.122 20 laps
16 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:42.686 +4.125 11 laps
17 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso 1:43.089 +4.528 16 laps
18 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:43.347 +4.786 14 laps
19 Roberto Merhi Manor 1:46.767 +8.206 19 laps
20 Will Stevens Manor 1:47.249 +8.688 18 laps