Sainz: Evolution at Renault will help at McLaren
Carlos Sainz reckons the evolution he underwent as a Formula 1 driver at Renault will help him at McLaren this season.
Sainz has signed a two-year McLaren deal after losing his Renault drive to Daniel Ricciardo.
The Spaniard contested the final four races of 2017 with Renault before completing the entire 2018 season with the French manufacturer.
"Moving to Renault has been a great experience for me and going to a team like McLaren with similar resources is going to help me," said Sainz.
"This year of experience, also getting to know myself, because I only knew the Carlos of Toro Rosso, what he liked in a Toro Rosso, is what I needed as a driver.
"[I took] the good things of Toro Rosso try and apply them in the Renault, and kept the good things from Renault and tried to nurse them together with the Toro Rosso ones.
"There's a lot of stuff going on that you can do as a driver, and the amount of learning that I've done this year is something that I'm taking into McLaren."
Sainz had to work through some problems at Renault at the start of the year, when he was "confused" by the car's rear-end instability.
He said experiencing that process with the might of a works team was extremely valuable.
"That's why I give some kudos to Renault," said Sainz. "They've helped me in that way, every time I was asking for something, they were writing it down and see if they could do something about it.
"As a driver, it's a privilege to see that a team really wants you to feel comfortable here and to bring the best they can to you.
"We've evolved as a team, they've helped me to evolve, and I've helped them to evolve.
"So, it's been a whole coordinated process that I think we both should be proud of."
Carlos Sainz Jr talks to Alan Hyde on the Autosport Stage
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images
Previous article
Magnussen's "wild" reputation is wrong – Haas
Next article
Lauda released from hospital
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Carlos Sainz Jr. |
| Teams | McLaren |
| Author | Scott Mitchell |
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
