Fresh off the back of signing on at Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season, Carlos Sainz Jr insists he has complete faith in technical director James Key to give him a competitive Formula 1 car in 2017.
Toro Rosso will return to Renault power next season after a year with Ferrari, but Sainz believes Key will produce a strong chassis when the new regulations come into effect.
“I got full trust in James Key and his team because so far on the chassis side they have done a wonderful job,” said Sainz. “We should never forget that it’s a big change of regulations. Toro Rosso got them well in 2014. James Key got them quite well at Force India in 2009.
“So hopefully all of this together helps us be a bit of a surprise next year and be one of those teams in the upper part of the grid, that got it right. I trust them; there’s still a long way but we are in a good position.”
Sainz also feels relieved that he has been re-signed to Toro Rosso for 2017, feeling that it is good to have stability for his future and revealing that he has the trust in both the team and in Red Bull.
“It’s a very positive thing for me because in such a tough programme like Red Bull, and with Toro Rosso such a tough team to remain and to keep going with – we all know their history with young drivers – to break this tendency and sign a contract so early in the year is a special feeling and a special case,” said Sainz to Sky Sports. “I’m very happy about that.
“It means I have the full confidence and full trust of Red Bull and Toro Rosso and means we can have good stability for the end of the year and next year. It will be an important year for them and for me. It’s just the best news at the right time, so I’m very happy about it.”
