Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Carlos Sainz drove a strong home race to finish in seventh place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The points he gained took the team to fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“I think it’s a very positive result for me and the team. We can be very proud of what we’ve achieved as this track was not ideal for us. We turned things around well, did a very good start and managed to finish seventh which I think was the best we could hope for. It feels great to get another good result at home and I hope the fans have enjoyed the race. Many thanks to all for their support! It’s good progress for the midfield fight and important points for the team. We have areas to work on, but we are making good progress. Let’s keep pushing”, Sainz commented.
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) May 16, 2018
They were here for him. But they are so passionate, so full of love, that we got to feel it too. Never has yellow looked so good. Thank you @Carlossainz55‘s fans, for making this #SpanishGP so special. Gracias por todo vuestro apoyo, es un honor teneros con nosotros ?#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/7sWPWxnpE3
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) May 13, 2018
Sainz happy with points at home and Renault’s progress
Nico Hulkenberg had a very short race after the rear of his R.S.18 was collected by a spinning Romain Grosjean, pitching both into retirement on the first lap.
“It was messy into turns one and two but in turn three it got a lot messier. I saw a car spin in front of me and a lot of smoke. It happened very quickly so I couldn’t avoid Grosjean spinning backwards into my car. It’s a pity as we were competitive, we have good pace so it’s frustrating not to have shown that yesterday and today. It’s difficult to swallow, especially when it’s not your fault. We’ll have to try again”, the German driver said.
Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul added the team was in positive spirits after the Spanish Grand prix.
“Our target is to be in the points at every race and we achieved that with Carlos through another strong performance from him. He also qualified in the top ten, reinforcing the pace of the Renault R.S.18. We’re happy that this result takes us one point ahead of McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, meaning for the first time we’re in fourth. The battle is very tight so we need to keep developing and performing at our best. We need to eradicate the gremlins, such as those which affected Nico’s qualifying. Nico was blameless in an unexpected accident on the first lap, but starting in a lower grid position makes you vulnerable to these sorts of incidents. Overall it has been a weekend with many positives which we will build on as we head to Monaco”, he said.
