Carlos Sainz may not have raced for McLaren yet but is already looking to stay well beyond his current contract.
Rather than replace Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, the Spaniard instead opted to follow his hero and mentor Fernando Alonso to the British team for 2019.
While McLaren has been in a performance slump in recent years, having not won a race since 2012, Sainz wants to be part of the bid to rekindle previous success.
“I am in a two-year commitment with them,” the 23-year-old told Motorsport Week.
“I want, as a driver, but also as a fan because I am a McLaren fan, to see the team going forward. So, if we manage to get a good first year and a good head start on how things are going to evolve I really think I can create a family out of McLaren and spend a few years there.
“That’s my target at the moment."
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Sainz admits, however, it will not be a quick process but is prepared to be patient.
“I’m going there going year-by-year, but also thinking about trying to be one of the key factors helping McLaren go back to the top," he explained. “Because of that I’m extremely motivated, I’m extremely looking forward to it.”
