Carlos Sainz does not have full confidence in his Renault
Dominated since the beginning of the season by Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz believes it's because he's not yet completely comfortable in his single-seater. However, this did not prevent him from delivering a very good performance in Baku.
When looking at the world championship standings, there is no contest between the two Renault drivers: Nico Hülkenberg is ranked 7th with 22 points while Carlos Sainz is at the edge of the top 10 with 13 points. However, the best performance was delivered by the Spaniard in the streets of Baku, achieving an impressive fifth place under the checkered flag. This was the team’s best performance since the French manufacturer’s acquisition of Enstone.
Carlos Sainz finds himself in a situation he’s not used to: being outperformed by his teammate in the qualifying sessions. This can be attributed to his lack of confidence in his car: « No, not at all! Ultimately, I don’t have full confidence in the car and it’s not perfectly set up for qualifying. There are always tenths slipping away. Once I’ve found the balance, the car will suit me better. It will come back automatically. So I’m not worried at all. »
This lack of confidence is a mix of two distinct elements. The first is that he only joined the Enstone structure at the end of last season when the major outlines of the 2018 car development were already finalized. Therefore, it corresponds more to Nico Hülkenberg’s driving style, clearly the team leader for the past two years. Carlos Sainz must therefore implement changes to his own style to make the most of the equipment at his disposal: « We are talking about very small margins. In Formula 1, these very small margins can easily cause you to fall during a qualifying lap. That’s why I’m not worried because these are very, very small margins of progression, and what I need to change and what I need from the car. Once that happens, everything will fall into place. »
However, Renault’s leaders are not inclined to let go of a driver with undeniable talent, capable of regularly scoring points, unlike what happened last year when Jolyon Palmer was in the second Renault. This is why they would like to extend the loan granted by the Red Bull program, which can only flatter the driver’s ego and thus strengthen his confidence: « Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems » he mischievously slipped in.
It will certainly be one of the elements in the negotiations surrounding Renault’s supply of engines to Red Bull, as Renault has set the end of this May as the imperative deadline for a possible extension of the agreement. Last year, by allowing Toro Rosso to switch to Honda’s fold, Renault managed to secure the early loan of Carlos Sainz. Ultimately, the Diamond finished ahead of the Italian team in the Constructors’ Championship.
From our special correspondent in Barcelona
