“It’s going to be a force to be reckoned with”- Carlos Sainz on McLaren after giving them a decorated service for the last two years.
Several people have tipped McLaren to make a lasting impact n 2021, the list includes the new recruit Daniel Ricciardo, former driver Lewis Hamilton, and now Ferrari bound Carlos Sainz.
According to Sainz, McLaren will be a force to reckoned with, as it has progressed drastically in the last three years, and reflected it on the table in 2020.
“I feel like this team has come forward a long, long, long way since that test in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2018,” Sainz told Motorsport.com. “The group of people here is as strong as it can get.
“There’s still a bit of a long way to go on car performance. We’re still losing one second to Mercedes per lap. But at the same time, I think the team is forming really nicely into 2022, which is the big regulation change when I think this team will be ready to hit the ground running.
“The team will have a much more specific and established structure. The people here I think are going to be a lot more established. It’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future, I think.”
No expectations helped him cementing his feet.
When McLaren signed Sainz, he was outcasted by Renault to accommodate Ricciardo in the team, and at that time little was expected by him, making him not succumb to any pressure. “We started from zero in 2018, so there were no expectations, there were no real hard feelings from anyone,” Sainz said.
“Lando and I got on really well, but then also working with the team, I immediately felt at home, and I immediately felt that the group of people there were incredibly motivated, incredibly proud to be part of McLaren.
“They really wanted the team to move forward. Everyone put together all their efforts, and that momentum carried through the first year into the second year.
“It’s just easier when you are on an upward trend like we’ve been on these two years, and the momentum keeps building, the relationships keep getting better, and the team keeps improving.
“I’m very proud of having been part of it. It’s definitely a memory I will take with me forever in my career.”
