F1 News, Reports and Race Results

'Home boost' sees Sainz aiming for grandstand performance

After a top five finish in the most recent race, Renault's Carlos Sainz is hoping that his home field advantage will propel him even higher in Barcelona.

"It’s the most special Grand Prix of the year for me," Sainz said. "It feels so different to any other race.

"I’ve raced in three Spanish Grands Prix so far. Each of them have been very special and I’ve managed to get some good results here.

"I think that shows all the support I receive works," he added. "It’s like having an extra boost. With all the fans giving support, we become very strong!

"I hope I'm able to keep it this way this season and continue the good trend of results at my home race.

"It’s a track I know very well since I was young," he added, although he quickly conceded that most Formula 1 drivers were equally familiar with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

"We get to do the tests here, both in winter and after the race, so every Formula 1 driver is very familiar with the track layout," he acknowledged.

Sainz certainly finds himself much in demand at his home event.

"It’s a busier weekend than normal, but I enjoy that, and I realise I’m very fortunate," he said. "Wherever I go throughout the weekend, there’s always people cheering. It’s a real privilege to experience."

There's even a grandstand with his name on it at the circuit. Literally!

"It’s awesome to have my own grandstand," he smiled. "We started back in 2016 and ever since, fans have been so grateful and supportive so it’s totally worth it.

"We have nearly 4,000 fans this year, near turn five, and it’s going to be very special to drive past them on every lap. I can’t wait for it again this year and hopefully I can put on a show for them."

Arguably, Sainz is even more in the spotlight than ever this year. Viewed as Daniel Ricciardo's heir apparent if the Australian decides to leave Red Bull, Sainz strengthened his case with fifth place in Baku - his best finish since being placed on loan at Renault by Toro Rosso.

"It is a really strong result for the team and myself, which we had to battle for," he said.

"Now it’s time to look forward and put all of our efforts into backing it up with another positive result in Spain."

Sainz conceded that the Spanish race presents a very different challenge from the one in Baku.

"It's three quite different sectors, each with some fast and flowing corners. The tarmac is new this year all around the track and this makes it even more interesting.

"We need good traction throughout [the last section] as it’s very tight with no room for mistake. It’s about hogging the inside kerbs as much as possible to find the shortest route.

"Finally, we have to negotiate the chicane, where we want to maximise the kerbs, before accelerating flat-out from the corner to finish the lap."

For Sainz, it represents a chance to take another important step forward to becoming regular podium contenders.

"I’m working really hard with the team to extract the maximum of the Renault R.S.18," he said. "I’m confident we’ll get there step by step."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

14 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

16 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

17 hours ago

Leclerc left with ‘mixed feelings’ after disappointing Sao Paulo GP

Charles Leclerc's weekend in Sao Paulo was unfortunately a stark contrast to Ferrari's recent triumphs…

19 hours ago

Back when Kimi knew exactly what he was doing

Twelve years ago on this day, Kimi Raikkonen took a popular win at the 2012…

20 hours ago

Mercedes fined for starting grid tyre pressure infringement

The Mercedes team was hit with a fine by the FIA after Sunday’s Sao Paulo…

21 hours ago