Official: Carlos Sainz will drive for Renault in 2018
The open secret finally comes out, and the Renault team took advantage of the weekend in Singapore to confirm the signing of Carlos Sainz for the 2018 season. The Spaniard will team up with Nico Hülkenberg in the French team.
Rumors and increasingly insistent whispers surrounded Carlos Sainz and his association with Renault. It is now official, the Spaniard will indeed be a driver for the diamond brand in 2018.
Cyril Abiteboul, the Sporting Director of Renault, was delighted to finally announce the news: Carlos Sainz is a very promising driver who has been on our radar for some time, especially after his successes in Renault’s junior formulas. It’s positive news to be able to confirm Carlos for 2018. This choice is well-aligned with our mid-term strategic plans. We believe Nico and Carlos will complement each other perfectly and that the combination should help us move up the grid.
A transfer made possible thanks to the goodwill of Red Bull and its representative, Helmut Marko, and surely also with the help of a significant suitcase of cash. But the Spaniard remains a Red Bull driver who will be loaned to Renault in 2018: « We are happy to have reached an agreement for Carlos to drive for Renault in 2018. He is a fantastic talent and will benefit from working with a manufacturer team and a very experienced driver. This will give Carlos a different challenge and we will closely monitor his progress there, as he remains a member of the Red Bull family. It is a very good development for Carlos and Renault and it will also allow us to bring new talent into Formula 1. » confirms Marko.
The main person concerned is already excited about racing next year for a major manufacturer: “I am very happy to join the Renault team. Being a Formula 1 driver for a constructor team is an honor and I hope to confirm the trust Renault has placed in me with my best performances. Renault’s trajectory is exciting and I am proud to join them at such an important moment in their history. I look forward to working with everyone at Enstone and Viry and driving alongside Nico Hülkenberg,” says Sainz.
It therefore seems that Jolyon Palmer, heavily challenged within Renault, might complete his contract and finish the season driving a French car. But in Formula 1, today’s truth is not tomorrow’s…
