Carlos Sainz will start 19th on the grid for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix after receiving a 10-place penalty for using additional power unit components. The Williams driver outqualified his teammate but faces a net loss of five places due to other penalties. He also praised Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli for apologizing over a radio comment during practice.
Sainz qualified 15th on the road at Spa-Francorchamps after outqualifying Alex Albon for the 10th time this season. A new control electronics module triggered the penalty as it was his fourth of the season.
He described the weekend as tough due to unresolved car issues that left him three to five tenths off his teammate in practice. The problems were fixed for qualifying.
Sainz also discussed an on-track incident with Antonelli in FP1. Antonelli called him an idiot over team radio but later apologized in person.
Sainz said the apology showed Antonelli is a great guy. Due to multiple penalties for other drivers, Sainz will start ahead of Isack Hadjar, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
