The Spaniard built up his pace over the course of the weekend and knew he had to take more risks when it mattered come qualifying.
Sainz was fastest after the first runs, despite a close brush with the wall. However, in trying too hard to get a perfect last lap in he made a mistake that ultimately dropped him to fourth on the grid behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and Red Bull duo Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.
