Sainz questions FIA consistency after Singapore Overtake Mode error

Carlos Sainz questioned the FIA’s consistency after a human error left Overtake Mode inactive when Singapore Sprint Qualifying resumed following Sergio Perez’s red flag. The mode was switched on later, then disabled again after 27 seconds in an attempt to preserve sporting fairness.

Sainz said the lapse left half the field with an engine advantage worth half a second. He questioned why the sport responded differently when a driver was out in Q1 than when one was out on Lap 1. Sainz qualified P22 and last in Singapore Sprint Qualifying; he called his own lap poor and said he had only one lap, brake problems and tyre difficulties.

His comparison was with the earlier formation-lap disruption at Sepang, where a software problem in wet conditions left cars struggling to accelerate and out of position. The regulations appeared to point toward using the shuffled positions, but the FIA restored the original grid order—a decision that also stood to benefit Sainz.