Late change to the Austrian GP grid with under-fire driver set for pit lane start

Max Verstappen leads the field at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix sprint race

Zhou Guanyu will start the Austrian Grand Prix from the pit lane after Kick Sauber changed the car set-up under parc ferme conditions.

Zhou had a wretched time in Saturday’s qualifying at the Red Bull Ring where the Chinese driver was eliminated in Q1, slowest of the 20 drivers.

Zhou Guanyu ‘struggled’ with pace at the Red Bull Ring

Crossing the line 0.798s down on the P1 time, and two-tenths slower than his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, he admitted he “struggled with the pace throughout” the day.

Calling it “equal parts challenging and disappointing”, Zhou added: “Despite making some changes between sessions, this also held true for qualifying. I believe the track layout doesn’t suit us as well as Barcelona, and unfortunately, we lacked the pace to get out of Q1.

“It’s crucial for us to stay focused and continue improving our car and overall package. The changes we’ve implemented have made the car feel more predictable, which usually helps during the race.

“It won’t be easy but we will give it our best shot. I hope we can fight for some higher positions.”

Stake have given him a boost in the hope of doing just that, the team changing the set-up of the car after qualifying.

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But breaking parc ferme conditions, it does mean a pit lane start for the driver who was set to line up P20 anyway.

“Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber changed the set-up of Car 24 under Parc Ferme, with the approval of the Technical Delegate,” read the stewards’ statement.

“The car is therefore required to start the Race from pit lane as per Article 40.9 b) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.”

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