Carlos Sainz excited to work with new McLaren CTO and "incredible mind" James Key

McLaren driver Carlos Sainz Jr. is excited to welcome the team's new technical director James Key, with whom he's worked in his Toro Rosso days, as the Spaniard thinks Key has an "incredible mind".

In his two and a half years at Toro Rosso, Sainz had a close working relationship with Key. The Briton was already signed by McLaren last season but didn't actually arrive until now, making his impact on McLaren's 2019 challenger limited.

Looking at the impact Key will make, Sainz was optimistic.

“I think he will get a bit more independence," the 24-year-old told Motorsport.com.

"I think James has a very incredible mind, he has a great talent, and he's always [built] good cars. So I think in McLaren he has the right place for him to have a bit more independence, and to have a good freedom to exploit his talent and hopefully it will pay off in some years.”

Combining his experience at Renault and combining this with Key's technical expertise, Sainz thinks the pair can push McLaren as a team forward.

"I have experience with another sort of midfield car, like a Renault, so altogether, I think I have the right information and the right tools to work close with James Key. We can both hopefully move this team a bit forward.”