Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has said goodbye to 2018 with an event organized by Estrella Galicia 0,0, his faithful sponsor since the beginning of his career. The event at the Carlos Sainz Karting Center in Madrid was attended by all of the motorsports Spanish media. 

 A well-deserved rest ahead of the 2019 

During the press conference, Carlos Sainz has reflected on the past season and talked about his expectations with McLaren in 2019. Then it was time to celebrate the first edition of the Carlos Sainz-Estrella Galicia 0,0 Karting Grand Prix. 

The McLaren driver is at a key moment of his F1 career. He will be head of the team for the first time with McLaren, the third most successful Scuderia in history, where he has taken over from Fernando Alonso. 

 
During a relaxed conversation with the press, Sainz explained how he is looking forward to the Christmas holidays to switch off from the demands of Fomula1, relax, and make time for everyday personal life matters.  

When asked about his wishes for the new year, he said: “I do not ask much of 2019, mainly, health and for the family to be ok. I am confident workwise so don’t need to ask for luck in that respect. Just hope we get a good car from McLaren.”

Surprised by McLaren’s attitude 

Sainz has said to be very pleasantly surprised by the proactiveness of the McLaren staff. “At this time of year, and after the season they have had, you would expect for everyone to be eager to go on holidays, but the people I have met in Woking have such desire to work and move forward“ 
“I was also surprised by their level of motivation and their desire to make a big comeback, as well as their pride to be part of McLaren and their resolve to be great again.” – said Sainz. 

Regarding the 2018 McLaren, he explained: “They were so surprised to see that they didn’t have the expected results. It was very hard for them because they thought there was more potential than there really was.” the 24-year-old diver continued. 

“They have dedicated most of the time to analyze where they’ve gone wrong so as not to make the same mistakes again, rather than bringing new parts or evolving the car in other ways. The new regulations have also helped”. 
On his new role as leading driver, he has emphasized that teams look for their drivers to perform as equals. “Teams want to have their drivers finish as close to each other and as high as possible.” (…) “that was the key to our fourth (position) at the World Championship with Renault” – he continued- “when Nico (Hulkenberg) and I were close to each other and added a good number of points.” 

Alonso, the 2019 McLaren, & the Dakar 

Sainz was also asked about one of this week’s hot topics; the possibility of Fernando Alonso testing the new McLaren.  “I would be happy for Fernando to try the new McLaren since he is the driver who has known the car best for the last few years. I think it would be good for someone with his experience to test it and that’s why it has been suggested, although I do fully trust my own  possibilities.” 

“I had a good rally day with Fernando and my father, and we talked about the simulator and about how I felt during the test. We also shared some impressions about McLaren and the decisions that were made, although I don’t want to comment any further on the matter, “said Sainz. 

He also talked about the possibility of Alonso taking part in the toughest rally in the world. “If he wants to participate in the Dakar, Fernando has my full support.”  “But the other day when we tried it, we left our comfort zone (Formula 1) and ended up soaked with sweat, I cannot imagine what it would be like for five hours during two weeks. “ 

Grateful to Red Bull  

Sainz had just one request regarding the Renault engine. He expects for it to be able to undergo a performance jump, especially in circuits like Spa, Monza or Suzuka, where the performance of the French maker has not been ideal. 

Asked about their chances in 2019, the Spaniard made clear he doesn’t like to speculate: “I do not like talking about that in winter, now it’s time to work. I don’t like speculations. We just have to wait for the first races to see where we are.” 

During his relaxed appearance, Sainz also wanted to thank Red Bull, the team that opened the doors to him to Formula 1. “It’s strange for me not to wear the red bull on the helmet. I owe them a lot and it’s going to be strange. I will always be grateful.” 

Finally, he talked about the possible changes for 2019. “I tested the tires for next year and honestly, they are very similar to this year’s. In any case, I am optimistic about the new regulations and I think they will make races more fun.” 

Images: Estella Galicia 0,0 & McLaren F1.