Renault Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz described his appearance at the Monte Carlo Rally as “very special” after driving a VIP course car around the final stage on Sunday.
Following in the footsteps of his father Carlos Sainz Sr., who has won the prestigious event in the south of France on three occasions, the 23-year-old navigated his way around the snowy roads in the hills overlooking Monaco in a specially built Megane R.S. ahead of the competing cars in the first rally of 2018.
When successfully at the finish line, Sainz admitted, despite choosing the open-wheel path with his racing career, participating at a rally was very much one of his goals.
“That was very special,” he said. “I have dreamt about doing this a lot of times in my life and now thanks to Renault it has come true. I have always wanted to do a rally with a co-driver, pace notes and a good pace and I loved it.
“The car was really good. It had different modes of driving that I was testing to get fully comfortable,” he added.
“The steering was very accurate and the suspension was stiff for the twisty sections so I was really enjoying it a lot. It was a fantastic experience – quite slippery in places to give the full Monte Carlo experience!”
Well aware of the risks and challenges the Monte Carlo rally pose, Sainz revealed his father had warned him to be “careful”, but after seeing his son behind the wheel, the recent Dakar winner was thrilled for Sainz Jr.
“I’m very happy that Carlos has experienced a taste of such a legendary rally,” he commented.
“Monte Carlo was, and still is, a very special race for all motorsport fans. Carlos has driven rally cars before, but experiencing the roads of this particular event is different.
“I gave him a couple of tips, but the most important one was ‘enjoy’.”