Carlos Sainz Junior has not had the start of the season he would've wanted, but the Spaniard has said that Renault is looking better in China ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sainz has only managed to score one point in the first two races, after finishing tenth and eleventh in the first two races of the season. His teammate Nico Hulkenberg has managed sixteen points with a P7 and P6 finish, a difference that the Spaniard says is because of his comfort levels in the car.
"I wasn't comfortable in the car," he told Spanish newspaper AS.
"We lacked grip on the rear in the slow corners, at the front in the fast corners.
"With a balance like that it's hard to be at the top op midfield.
Sainz, who got very unwell during the first race but still managed to hold onto P10, sees things more positively in China.
"I'm feeling more comfortable with the car, we had a clean Friday.
"We still need to work on long-run pace, but the balance is way better now, so that's a good sign.
Sainz was still slower than teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who ended in P6 after FP2, but Sainz showed encouraging signs and finished with the eighth fastest time when it was all said and done on Friday. Can he finally come out of his shell this weekend and score some serious points?
Read more about:
Today
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
FIA makes changes to controversial rules
1177 times read
2
Would Russell leave Mercedes for this new team?
701 times read
3
Newey admits the 2026 F1 regulations are 'slightly scary' but also calls them 'interesting'
486 times read
4
Norris expects no magic, and hints at bigger issues with the MCL39
452 times read