Carlos Sainz says he wasn't expecting to move to Renault before the end of the season and was made aware of the decision just 30 minutes before it was confirmed.
Renault announced late on Saturday that Carlos Sainz would race for the French outfit at the US Grand Prix in Austin, replacing Jolyon Palmer alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
There had been speculation of a premature move in Singapore, after the manufacturer announced Sainz's recruitment for 2018, but with Palmer insisting that his contract would guarantee his presence at Renault until the end of 2017, the rumors were discarded.
"I actually knew about half an hour before the announcement so it was quite unexpected from my side," Sainz said.
"A big surprise like for you guys! My manager let me know that Cyril [Abiteboul] had told him."
Sainz admitted that the news didn't hit him immediately as he was entirely immersed in his race weekend with Toro Rosso. But on Saturday night, it progressively sunk in.
"When I went to bed I was happy because I knew it was a good chance for me to adapt to the car a bit earlier than we expected, to get to know my engineers, the team, the mechanics a bit earlier.
"I liked it, although I was not very emotional or happy because I was so focused on the weekend that it was difficult to take the mind out of that."
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Liam Lawson has revealed that he became the target of online abuse by fans of…
As Carlos Sainz prepares for a new chapter in his Formula 1 career with Williams,…
Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…
When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…
Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…