F1 Russian Grand Prix 2015: Carlos Sainz to start in Sochi after passing FIA medical tests following crash
Sainz was treated in hospital after crashing out of qualifying but will start from the back of the grid in Sunday's race in Sochi
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Your support makes all the difference.Carlos Sainz has been given the green light to race in the Russian Grand Prix just a day after suffering a scary crash during qualifying in Sochi.
The Toro Rosso driver hurtled into the barrier after losing control of his car under braking for turn 13, with the turn 12 kink sending him left into the wall before sliding under the TechPro barriers and into the Armco at high speed.
Sainz sent a tweet out from his hospital bed to confirm that he was not hurt in the accident and with Toro Rosso repairing his car overnight, he declared his intention to race after passing the required physical and mental tests.
"I feel good. My mind is telling me to race and that's the best thing I can do today," Sainz said.
The FIA have given Sainz the all-clear following his accident, having passed their medical checks early this morning. However, Sainz has admitted that if he feels any pain in his neck, he will not hesitate in pulling out of the race.
Sainz will start from the back of the grid having missed qualifying on Saturday as he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, but he revealed that he remained conscious throughout the crash and his only injury is that he remains “a little bit sore.
He added: "Obviously we need to be cautious."
Following the crash, Toro Rosso could not fully explain the cause of the crash, although they did admit that a combination of changing to the tyres that offered less grip and changing his brake balance could be behind the rear tyres locking and pitching him into the outside wall.
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said: "A combination of these two factors might have been the cause of the rear tyres locking, which made the car uncontrollable."
Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg will start Sunday's race from pole position after he beat his Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton in qualifying. The pair went toe-to-toe in the inaugural Russian Grand Prix here last season when Rosberg attempted to out-brake Hamilton into turn two, and the Briton ultimately went on to seal race victory on his way to the championship title.
Williams driver Valterri Bottas starts in third, with the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen lining up in fourth and fifth.
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