Carlos Sainz

Renault’s performance in the United States and the Mexico gave the French manufacturer a welcome boost in a difficult second half of the season and has helped it all-but-cement fourth place in the constructors’ championship. However, after finishing best-of-the-rest behind Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes in the previous two GPs, Renault struggled in Friday practice at Interlagos and ...

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The Spaniard found out over the summer that he was being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo for 2019, but wasted little time in sorting out a deal to switch to McLaren. Although being out of his current outfit could have prompted Sainz to ease off, he says the situation actually helped inspire him to push harder and deliver the four points-scoring finishes he has had since the summer ...

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Sainz finished third behind the two Red Bulls in both FP1 and FP2, outpacing the Ferrari and Mercedes cars that have normally been out of reach for the Renault RS18. And while the Spaniard described the day as “surprisingly good” for his team, he said the midfield picture suggested Renault hadn't suddenly made a major step forward compared to last weekend's race in Austin. “It's very ...

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The 37-year-old two-time F1 champion will not be on the grid next year, and while he has left the door open for a return, he has also stated he's treating his departure as a “goodbye” to grand prix racing. Alonso has endured a difficult time in F1 since re-joining McLaren four years ago, and with wins and podiums out of reach the Spaniard has often struggled to hide his frustration at the ...

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The Pirelli tyre test is the only on-track running between the end of the 2018 campaign and official pre-season testing next February. Current Renault driver Sainz is one of several changing teams next season. Asked by Motorsport.com about the possibility of driving for McLaren in Abu Dhabi, Sainz said: "It's a good opportunity to try this year's car, obviously not next year's, but I'm ...

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Sainz started 11th and ran wide exiting Turn 1, but went on to finish sixth ahead of the Force India and Haas drivers. The Spaniard served his penalty during his pitstop on lap 24 of 56, but it did not cost him any positions. Haas boss Gunther Steiner complained that it took took too long for the stewards to react. “Our team manager will bring it to the Sporting Working Group,” ...

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The Toro Rossos of Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly both made Q3 at Suzuka, but in the race they slipped out of the top 10, while Sainz moved up to 10th to claim the final point. “I think in qualifying, it’s difficult to say,” said Sainz when asked if Honda is now ahead of Renault. “In the race definitely not, I don’t think we’re behind Honda on race pace. "I managed to overtake ...

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The French car manufacturer had been a regular contender at the front of the midfield pack during the first half of the season, but has fallen away in recent races as other teams’ developments have pushed them on. But while some of Renault's struggles are down to the car itself, Sainz thinks that not having introduced an engine upgrade in the second half of the year has hurt. Renault ...

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Renault's shock signing of Ricciardo means Sainz's short spell with the team will end after this season, having initially joined on loan from Red Bull with the intention of making it a longer-term deal. Team boss Abiteboul has now revealed that Renault "pushed massively" to sign Sainz but was blocked by Red Bull, which ultimately allowed Renault to pursue and swoop for Ricciardo. "It is a ... ...

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Sainz and Sirotkin made contact on the opening lap of the Sochi race when the Russian found himself with nowhere to go in his run up to Turn 2, where he was sandwiched between the Renault and the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson. Sirotkin ended up hitting the right side of Sainz's car, causing heavy damage to the sidepod and the floor. Sainz continued in the race but struggled for pace, running ... ...

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In the tight battle for fourth place - which also yields a seat on F1’s influential Strategy Group - Renault has 91 points compared with 76 for Haas, while McLaren remains in touch on 58. But Force India, which started again from zero points at the Belgian Grand Prix because of a technicality relating to the team’s change of ownership, is already on 32. The gap might even have been ... ...

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While F1 tyre supplier Pirelli believes that a two-stop strategy is optimal, maintaining track position is vital at street circuits and any multi-stop strategy carries the risk that a driver might get bogged down in traffic. Many teams have expressed a preference for a theoretically slower one-stop strategy - which may only be possible for those starting outside the top 10. Renault's RS18 is ... ...

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Renault customer team Red Bull used the new ‘Spec C’ engine at Monza, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen reporting satisfactory gains in line with Renault’s 0.3s estimate.  Sainz, who will leave the Renault works team to join its other customer McLaren in 2019, says the manufacturer should be encouraged by the Spec C’s debut.  “The C-spec is the baseline of next year's ... ...

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Kvyat was dumped by Red Bull before the end of the 2017 season after he struggled to respond to being demoted from the senior team the year before. Sainz partnered Kvyat from the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix until the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, with Sainz then leaving for Renault and Kvyat getting replaced by Pierre Gasly before being handed a one-race reprieve in the United States. “I do have ... ...

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Renault struggled for pace in the previous race at Spa due to the nature of the circuit and, with Monza being similarly demanding for engines, Sainz believes the French team is in for another challenging weekend. The Spaniard finished second Monza practice 12th quickest, two seconds off the pace, with teammate Nico Hulkenberg two places ahead. The Renault duo were split by the Haas of Romain ... ...

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The DRS flap on Ericsson's Sauber did not reattach under braking for the first chicane at Monza in FP2, which meant he lost control of the car, slammed into the wall on the left-hand side of the track and spectacularly barrel-rolled to a halt. Asked by Motorsport.com for his thoughts on the crash, Sainz said he was he "just glad he's OK" but said it showed how big the consequences can be when ... ...

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Sainz could only manage 16th place after struggling with a poor balance in Q1, so he was not able to progress to the next session. However, he will gain two grid spots as both his teammate Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas have grid penalties. Sainz said that in the immediate aftermath of the session, his team couldn't get to the bottom of the problems he had faced. "We don't know yet," ... ...

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Button, who claimed the team's most recent grand prix win in the 2012 season finale in Brazil, left the championship two years ago, in the middle of McLaren's ultimately ill-fated stint with engine supplier Honda. McLaren has switched to using Renault engines from 2018 onwards, but its first campaign with the French manufacturer's power units has also been a disappointment – as it sits only ... ...

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Sainz has just been signed to replace Alonso at the Woking-based team for 2019, having spent this season racing for Renault. And although the pair are good friends off track, they have yet to have a conversation about their future because of the summer break. However, in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Sainz has said that he hoped to be able to lean on Alonso for some tips about ... ...

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Sainz has just been signed to replace Alonso at the Woking-based team for 2019, having spent this season racing for Renault. And although the pair are good friends off track, they have yet to have a conversation about their future because of the summer break. However, in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Sainz has said that he hoped to be able to lean on Alonso for some tips about ... ...

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Sainz has been confirmed at McLaren on a multi-year deal after his long-time backer Red Bull relinquished an option to promote the Spaniard to its senior team in place of Daniel Ricciardo. Two-time world champion Alonso is leaving F1 at the end of the season and McLaren boss Zak Brown called it "fitting" that Sainz will be his successor. Sainz, who is racing for Renault this season, said it ... ...

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Sainz has been confirmed at McLaren on a multi-year deal after his long-time backer Red Bull relinquished an option to promote the Spaniard to its senior team in place of Daniel Ricciardo. Two-time world champion Alonso is leaving F1 at the end of the season and McLaren boss Zak Brown called it "fitting" that Sainz will be his successor. Sainz, who is racing for Renault this season, said it ... ...

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As reported by Motorsport.com, Sainz emerged as a favoured choice by McLaren as it assessed its options for 2019, when it will lose two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. McLaren has now confirmed Sainz as one of its 2019 drivers on a multi-year deal. "We're incredibly excited to have Carlos join us as a McLaren driver," said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. "We've been assessing him for some ... ...

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Sainz drove for Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso for three seasons and is currently on loan at Renault, but will lose that drive because Daniel Ricciardo is quitting Red Bull to join the French manufacturer for 2019. Ricciardo's surprise decision gave Sainz a shot at Red Bull but current Toro Rosso driver Gasly quickly emerged as the favourite. When Red Bull loaned Sainz out, it retained an ... ...

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Sainz has enjoyed a solid opening half to the 2018 season, scoring in eight of the 12 races so far and sitting 11th in the standings on 30 points. He was hit by late engine trouble in France, suffered a DNF at Silverstone and picked up a 10-second penalty for passing under the safety car at Hockenheim, and trails seventh-placed teammate Nico Hulkenberg by 22 points in the ... ...

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