Sainz got "extra motivation" after Renault-departure was confirmed
15:52, 04 Nov 2018
0 Comments
Departing Renault driver Carlos Sainz Junior has said that his confirmed split from the French team after this season has given him extra motivation to perform well.
The Spaniard will be swapping Renault for McLaren after this season, as he had to make way at Renault for newly signed Daniel Ricciardo, who will make a high-profile switch from Red Bull Racing to team up with Nico Hülkenberg.
“For me it would have been very easy after the summer just to say 'well, let’s finish the year and think about next year', you know?” Sainz told Motorsport.com.
“But I really felt I had something left in Renault, not to prove, but I just wanted to finish the year strongly. I found a lot of motivation after the summer break, after Spa, to say 'I want to finish the year strongly with them'.
“I have a very good relationship with the mechanics, with the engineers, and with the management here, and because of that I've been pushing flat out since then as an eight-race sprint until the finish line, to finish well with Renault.
ADVERTISEMENT
“And this is exactly what is happening right now, no? Very strong races. The car is not where it was at the beginning of the year in terms of performance, but the points are still coming, so I am proud of that.”
Sainz will be teaming up with rookie Lando Norris in 2019 at McLaren, with the teenager making the promotion from Formula 2.
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Monaco Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
Verstappen hailed as greatest on the grid by former Ferrari world champion
1616 times read
2
Jett Lawrence makes honest injury admission as Haiden Deegan targets shock 450 debut in California
1368 times read
3
Former Ferrari boss Di Montezemolo unhappy with Ferrari car: 'Take the horse off it'
1006 times read
4
Wolff admits he did not ‘appreciate’ Antonelli’s emotional radio messages
947 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 131 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 88 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 72 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 58 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 48 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 43 | |
8 | AlpineALP | 20 | |
9 | HaasHAA | 18 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 16 |
Loading
