"The team clearly deserved another double-points finish here in Japan"

Carlos Sainz believes McLaren did enough work to earn another double-points finish in Japan. The Spaniard was once again on top of his game as he claimed 5th place, but teammate Lando Norris finished just outside the points.

Even though Renault managed to get a double-points finish, McLaren still outscored their rivals by 1 point. The 'best of the rest' position is virtually secure for the Woking-based team.

Sainz, who looked to have an outside chance of a podium in Japan in the early stages of the race, is pleased with what the team are achieving.

“A very good day in general. Qualifying was extremely strong after leading the midfield on Friday. We secured P7 and P8 clearly ahead of our main competitors. Later, in the race, I had a good start on the inside line and fought again wheel-to-wheel with Hamilton. From there I controlled my pace and went for a long first stint," Sainz explained.