"I don't remember a tighter battle in recent years"

The battle in midfield this year is more exciting than ever, with three teams now one point from each other. Racing Point, Renault and McLaren are all fighting for third place, but who come out on top?

The top of Formula 1 has remained unchanged for years. Mercedes win the races and Red Bull Racing take the podiums. This year a little easier for Red Bull, because Ferrari have dropped off the pace. There are still three teams in front of Ferrari, fighting for third place. Carlos Sainz hopes to take an important step with his team in Turkey.

McLaren duo aims for P3

"We’ve managed to score important points in the last races and the fight for third in the Constructors’ is insanely close, with only one point separating us and our rivals. I don’t remember a tighter battle in the midfield in recent years. We can’t afford to lose any opportunity and every session of the weekend is important. Extracting the most from the car starting on Friday and into quali can make a big difference for the race. Every little detail can have an impact and with only four races left we need to keep focused," said Sainz in the preview of McLaren.

Teammate Norris also knows that every mistake will be punished. ''The midfield battle is so close with only one point separating three teams. I know everyone in the team will give it everything to try and do the best we possibly can this weekend. Hopefully, the track will give us more chances to overtake than in Imola, so we can try and score some important points," concluded the young Brit.