F1 car on FIRE in dramatic scenes at Australian Grand Prix
CARLOS SAINZ was forced to abandon his car as it set on fire during the Australian Grand Prix.
Sainz had started well and risen up to 14th when smoke started billowing from his McLaren.
The Spaniard was able to keep his composure and pull over in a safe area near the pit lane.
But then he quickly got out of his car as fire marshals tackled the incident.
Smoke made the McLaren barely visibly but Sainz was able to get away unharmed.
McLaren chief Zak Brown tried to explain his driver's retirement.
"It looks like it was an MGU-K [issue]," he said.
"We didn't get much notice."
Meanwhile, Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle believes it was a critical error by McLaren.
"A fairly fundamental failure inside that McLaren," he said.
Sainz had done extremely well to fight his way from 18th on the grid.
But he had to call time on his race after just 11 laps.
“I had unbelievable bad luck out there today," Sainz said after qualifying.
"I was on a very good lap that would have got us into the top 10.
"Then I came across the Williams of Robert Kubica with a puncture in the last sector in the middle of the track at Turn 14, but I couldn’t avoid him and I dropped four tenths.
“It is what it is – I was in the wrong place at the wrong time – so it’s a shame."