Carlos Sainz Jr. continued his strong 2019 season with the McLaren F1 Team last time out at the Suzuka International Racing Course, with his fifth-place finish moving him ahead of Pierre Gasly and into sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The Spaniard now has three fifth place finishes to his name this year and heading into this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he is determined to once again give it his all and fight for as many points as possible.
“Jumping to sixth position in the Drivers’ Championship after another strong weekend in Suzuka is encouraging and it only adds up to our motivation to keep pushing until the end of the year,” said Sainz. “It won’t be easy to keep that position but I’ll fight for it with everything we’ve got. We also took another important step in the Constructors’ Championship, but we need to keep focussed.
“I’m excited to get back in the car for the Mexican Grand Prix. It’s an amazing event and a challenging circuit, so I’ll be making sure I give it my all and aim for good points once again. I enjoy the city a lot and how all the Mexican fans support the grand prix, so I look forward to meeting many of them over the weekend.”
Team-mate Lando Norris ran in first practice for McLaren in Mexico in 2018, with the Briton feeling the layout should suit some of the characteristics of the MCL34. Norris saw his three-race run of points scores end in Japan after running through debris, so he is eager to return to the top ten this weekend.
“Mexico usually gives us great racing and should suit some of the characteristics of our car, but I know that I still need to work hard to make the most of the weekend,” said Norris. “It’s an interesting track to drive with the unique stadium section, and I’m looking forward to racing there this year after taking part in FP1 last year.
“Mexico City has a great atmosphere and the fans there are always very passionate about the race. I’m glad it will be on the calendar in 2020.”
Team Principal, Andreas Seidl, says McLaren head to Mexico with clear objectives as they strive to consolidate their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. The team currently sit thirty-four points clear of the Renault F1 Team with four races remaining, but Seidl says they will be working flat out to ensure they end the campaign in that all-important fourth place.
“We go to Mexico with clear objectives in mind,” said Seidl. “The high altitude at the track poses an interesting challenge when setting up the car on Friday, so we’ll be working hard to optimise our aero package for qualifying and the race.
“As we head into these final few races, our focus remains on maximising the opportunities to score points through work at the track and back at the factory. Our position in the Constructors’ Championship is not yet secured and we must keep pushing to ensure we leave nothing to chance. It’s still all to play for and I look forward to some exciting racing.”
