Carlos Sainz is aiming to end his loan spell with Renault ‘on a really bright note’ at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Joining as part of the McLaren-Renault, Toro Rosso-Honda engine deals at last year’s race in Austin, the Spaniard’s stint with the French manufacturer has seen quite the twist in his Formula 1 career.
With a promotion to Red Bull considered the only reason for an eventual departure, instead, it’s the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo next season that forced the 23-year-old to seek pastures new as he heads to McLaren.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with Renault over the past 14 months,” Sainz said looking ahead to Yas Marina. “They say Enstone has a family feel and I felt at ease and very welcome from day one.
“To drive for a manufacturer team is a dream come true and I’m very proud to be part of the history of such an important brand in F1.
“On track, the results have been good on a whole, very consistent and that’s something I can be proud about.
“As a driver, I take with me very valuable experiences and I’m looking forward to staying part of the Renault family with McLaren next season.”
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The second half of 2018 hasn’t been quite what the team expected as a lack of engine gains has seen the more powerful customer teams of Ferrari and Mercedes keep up and move ahead.
Still, a number of strong weekends are going to see Renault finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship and Sainz wants to go out with a flourish.
“We’ll be doing our homework to ensure we’re best prepared and can hit the ground running right from Friday practice,” he commented.
“We would like a bit more performance from the car for the last race and I know the team is working hard to get back into the points there.
“Hopefully it will be a good last race for the team and I can end this spell on a really bright note.”