Monaco Grand Prix – Renault’s Carlos Sainz is riding the crest of a wave at the moment, heading for Monte Carlo after four points finishes in five races.
Sainz has been one of the most consistent men on the grid so far this year, having scored points in every race apart from Bahrain so far. P5 in Azerbaijan was followed by P7 in Spain, and the Renault man says that everything is going in the right direction for the factory squad as they get ever more competitive following their return in 2016: “Barcelona was another good result but it would be a huge mistake to lose focus. We’re confident our approach is the correct one and we’re making good progress. It’s about continuing on this trend and keeping up the hard work. After Barcelona, the team climbed up to fourth in the Championship and the target is to consolidate that position in Monaco with more points.”
Sainz has scored points in Monaco for the last three consecutive years, including a very strong P6 last year while he was still with Toro Rosso. He explains his approach to how to tackle the Monaco weekend: “Confidence in yourself, and in your car, is key to a successful weekend. You build that confidence up in little steps, all the way up to qualifying when you aim to be at 100%.”
“Qualifying is crucial in Monaco, and it’s usually very tense. I would say it’s one of the toughest sessions of the whole season, if not the toughest and you need to carry that extra level of determination for it. When you nail your qualifying lap at this track, there isn’t any feeling like it, it’s amazing.”
“You can’t drive around Monaco like you do at any other circuit. It’s unique and requires a completely different approach to any other weekend. You are constantly aware of the walls and you have to keep concentration levels high on every corner of every lap through the weekend.”
