Carlos Sainz says McLaren's strong showing on Friday in Austria makes his penalty "more painful".
The Spaniard has taken on a new engine this weekend which means he will have to start from the very back of the grid, as he has exceeded the permitted number of elements under the regulations.
Sainz finished up fifth quickest as McLaren once again looks to be the fourth fastest team, and although Sainz knows it's just practice, he was left with a positive feeling heading into the race weekend.
"Another good Friday. It’s always good news to finish again in the top 10 – today top five – cars, even though it is only practice.
"My run plan has been more race-biased than normal today, as obviously we’re trying to prepare for the race knowing that I’m going to take a penalty for Sunday."
But Sainz's feelings are mixed given the looming penalty: "Even so, the only short run I did looked competitive, which I guess today only makes the penalty feel a bit more painful.
"However, it is what it is, and there’s no point losing energy on that. My focus is on the race and our long runs also looked decent, so I prefer to look on the bright side and keep preparing for Sunday."
A small glimmer of light is the fact Sainz has now moved over to Renault latest upgrade which has been described as a "good step" over the previous spec, which Lando Norris is still running.
