A surprised Carlos Sainz found himself third on Friday's timesheet, just behind the leading Red Bull pair, but the Renault driver believes the running order was especially a reflection of Mercedes and Ferrari's struggles.
Sainz clocked in behind Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo in both free practice sessions on the opening day of the Mexican Grand Prix, taking full advantage of the Renault engine's good performance at the high altitude venue.
But the Spaniard believes his advantageous position is likely to be short-lived once F1's usual suspects regain their footing.
"To be P3, to be honest, seems quite a bit of a surprise to all of us," said Sainz Jr.
"But I think it’s more due to Mercedes and Ferrari struggling a lot out there than us being quicker than normal.
"We are only one-tenth ahead of Toro Rosso, one-tenth ahead of Force India, but we are still 1.2 seconds behind Red Bull.
"So I think it is something due to the others more than our proper pace.
"It’s very nice to see the two Renault cars and Renault power units also up there," he added.
"The team is working hard, the team is working very well in this part of the season to secure that fourth in the standings.
"But again, I think it’s a bit misleading, those time sheets."
Sainz's team mate Nico Hulkenberg was also a top-five runner on Friday, but he agreed that Renault's performance would not last.
"The car felt good today, in line with our expectations for balance and feeling," said the German.
"It was a pleasant surprise to see how quick we were especially for a Friday.
"Tyre degradation is obviously something we’re looking at for the race as the Hypersoft gives good pace, but that performance doesn’t last.
"We have a few set-up areas to work on, so there’s potential for more to come tomorrow."
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