This weekend marks one year since Carlos Sainz began his loan stint with Renault and the Spaniard is hoping to repeat the impact he made in Austin 12 months ago.
After a year when Jolyon Palmer had only scored once in the first 16 races, Sainz stepped immediately into his seat and finished seventh at the Circuit of the Americas in an impressive first outing.
“It was a good effort all round by the team and we had a lot to learn in a short space of time,” he recalled.
“It was a successful weekend and it meant I began my stint at Renault on a positive note. We were quick and made some nice overtakes.
“It was the perfect introduction to the team and I’ve loved every moment of the last year wearing the yellow and black.”
The circumstances are quite a bit different now, however, with Sainz no longer on loan from Red Bull and set to trade Renault for McLaren in 2019 in place of his mentor Fernando Alonso.
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The French manufacturer is also in a fight to maintain their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship with just eight points between themselves and Haas and their competitiveness has also begun to wane in recent races,
“We have to keep fighting. We know the second half of the season has been tough for everyone involved with the team, but it shows we have a lot of spirit,” Sainz stated.
“After scoring a point in Japan, I’m feeling hopeful for Austin, the circuit should suit the car better than Suzuka, so we remain positive.
“Even if we don’t have all the pace we want, we’re still scoring points, so we need to hold onto that and keep fighting and pushing. We can meet our targets.”