After a welcome one-week interlude, Carlos Sainz is refreshed and recharged as he targets a return to the points at Hockenheim.
How much are you looking forward to the return of the German Grand Prix?
I’m happy to be back racing in Germany. I’m especially looking forward to it as we have a few updates there – including a new front wing – to help us get back on the pace we showed at the beginning of the year. Hockenheim is a track I’ve won at in the past, so it’s one I’m looking ahead to. It’s Nico [Hulkenberg]’s home race too, so that’ll be special for him – like for me in Spain – and that will help us both push hard on track all weekend.
What do you like about Hockenheim?
It’s certainly a circuit I enjoy, even though I only have one Formula 1 race to my name there. I’ve had pole positions and race wins at Hockenheim in the junior categories. It’s quite an old-school circuit, which I like. There’s a couple of long straights and fast-sweeping corners. It will be the first time we’ve driven Hockenheim with the wider, higher downforce Formula 1 cars, so a lot of the corners will be faster than what they once were. Turns one and 12 will be especially fast, so that’ll be something to keep an eye on in Friday’s early running.
How hard is the fight for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship proving?
We have lots of things we need to analyse, as the midfield battle is getting tighter and tighter. These last few rounds have highlighted that trend and our current fourth place could be threatened if we don’t keep up the hard work. We had a really good two-thirds of the race at Silverstone. It was a pity we couldn’t bring more points home. We need to keep pushing to secure the fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Our preview of the #GermanGP continues with @HulkHulkenberg talking us through a lap of the Hockenheimring.#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/YXRLYX7Erk
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) July 17, 2018
