Ahead of his final race for Renault, Carlos Sainz has reflected on his time at the French team and has concluded that he can be proud of his 14 months there, as he claimed that he's grown as a driver.
The Spaniard signed at Renault on a loan from Red Bull during the 2017-season, replacing Jolyon Palmer, who was surplus to demands. After struggling a bit initially, the Madrilean has grown into a fine driver there, often beating his teammate Nico Hülkenberg in recent months.
"I'm definitely looking forward to Abu Dhabi as it will be an interesting finale," Sainz said on Renault's website.
"We would like a bit more performance from the car for the last race and I know the team is working hard to get back into the points there.
"Hopefully it will be a good last race for the team and I can end this spell on a really bright note."
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With Renault having signed Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull to replace Sainz at Renault, the 24-year-old will now move to McLaren to replace the retiring Fernando Alonso. He'll partner up with rookie Lando Norris.
"I've really enjoyed my time with Renault over the past 14 months," Sainz continued.
"They say Enstone has a family feel and I felt at ease and very welcome from day one.
"To drive for a manufacturer team is a dream come true and I'm very proud to be part of the history of such an important brand in Formula 1. On track, the results have been good on a whole, very consistent and that's something I can be proud about.
"As a driver, I take with me very valuable experiences and I'm looking forward to staying part of the Renault family with McLaren next season. We still have this final race to focus on and that's all I'm thinking about at the moment."
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Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
02:30 AM
Practice 2
06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
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Sunday 29.03.26
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Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
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Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
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Sunday 29.03.26
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 51 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 47 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 34 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 33 | |
5 | HaasHAA | 17 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 15 | |
7 | AlpineALP | 9 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 8 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 8 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 4 |
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