Carlos Sainz Jr. believes that the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team can continue to make forward strides in 2018 after an encouraging 2017 season.
Sainz Jr. is now entering the final year of his loan to Renault from the Red Bull driver programme, having replaced Jolyon Palmer for the final four races of the 2017 Formula 1 championship.
The 23-year-old Spaniard holds confidence in the work done by the Renault team, as they aim to break into the top five for the first time since their reformation in 2016, but he understands that progress will be hard to measure.
“The general approach is to work harder every day to continue on a positive trend,” Sainz Jr. said, speaking at the Enstone launch of the R.S.18.
“For sure the main target is to take a step forward, both me as a driver and the whole team.
“It’s difficult to predict how big that step will be.”
Sainz Jr.’s seventh place on his Renault début at the United States Grand Prix helped the French marque secure sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the expense of his former employers, Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda, and is looking forward to starting an “exciting” 2018 campaign in winter testing next week.
“I’m confident, as I have been pushing hard during the winter and I know everyone at the factory is giving their very best.
“I’m convinced this is going to be an exciting season.”
