Sainz doesn't know what caused power loss as he starts from back of Brazil grid

McLaren star Carlos Sainz Jr. will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid after failing to set a time during Q1 as his engine failed, and the Spaniard still doesn't know what caused the issue.

Sainz lost power at the end of his first run in Q1, forcing him to dive into the pit so his mechanics could get to work. With time ticking for the session to end, they failed to fix the issue in time, meaning Sainz ended the session without setting a time.

The 25-year-old will therefore start the Brazilian Grand Prix from the back of the grid as McLaren look to seal the midfield battle with Renault this weekend. They'll have to outscore the French side by seven points to mathematically secure fourth place, although it is already very unlikely the French works team will score 38 points in two races.

"What can you do... a loss of power at the end of the final corner and there was no time to repair it," Sainz told Movistar+.

"I just got out of the car and we still don't know what happened. It annoys me a lot as it was a day where we could qualify at the front and have a good race, and now it's going to take a lot [to get a good result]."