New McLaren driver Carlos Sainz feels "powerful" rather than scared about leading his new team in the 2019 Formula One season.
Sainz's team-mate next season will be Lando Norris, in his rookie season in F1 - meaning McLaren will be turning to the former Renault and Toro Rosso driver for a level-head and a reliable F1 brain.
The responsibility of being the 'main guy' could get to some drivers, but not Sainz, who has insisted he is relishing the challenge rather than hiding from it.
"It feels good, it feels in a way powerful," Sainz explained to Autosport. "I'm going to arrive at McLaren in my fifth year Formula 1. I've gone through two teams, and I still have that World Series (Formula Renault 3.5) championship still fresh in my mind.
"So I'm going in with that confidence and a lot of knowledge. When you work with two different teams, with very different characteristics of car balance, of set-up, like it was at Toro Rosso and Renault, I think I've been at the two extremes of car balance.
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"Because of that I'm going to McLaren with a lot of knowledge and wanting to also lead, and follow a direction with them that is hopefully a good one."
McLaren will enter the 2019 season as one of three brand new line-ups; with Toro Rosso and Williams the other two.
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Austrian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 26.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 27.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 28.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 156 | |
2 | FerrariFER | 115 | |
3 | MercedesMER | 106 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 73 | |
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8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 37 | |
9 | AlpineALP | 32 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 28 |
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