Carlos Sainz has insisted his focus remains solely on doing a good job with Renault ahead of what is likely to be a crucial year for the second generation racer.
The Spaniard joined the Enstone team on loan from the Red Bull stable as part of the deal which saw McLaren take on Renault engines for 2018 and his former team Toro Rosso switch to Honda.
That means it is still the Austrian energy drinks giant which has a large say over his future and, with Daniel Ricciardo’s future uncertain, Sainz remains the lead candidate to replace him should the Australian go elsewhere.
For now, however, the 23-year-old is not letting that possibility distract him.
“In this situation, my head is always on the present. My future at the moment is the least of my concerns,” he was quoted by F1i.com.
“I know if I have a good year, a lot of opportunities will come, so it is better to focus on the present than ahead. So I will focus on my best for Renault because this is what they deserve.”
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On Saturday, the French manufacturer completed a shakedown of the new R.S.18 in Barcelona after admitting the car shown during their launch was not representative of the actual design.
Renault and Sainz are expecting the new car to continue the upward trend from last year when the moved from near the back in 2016 to arguably the fourth fastest in the pecking order by the end of 2017.
“It is always difficult but I think the team has progressed during the winter,” Carlos claimed. “I don’t know how much, but I am convinced the team has done great steps to move forward this year.
“We now depend on the others and to know how they have done, but we’re convinced we’ve made a step forward.”
