Sainz: Not over-reacting key to 2019 form

Jamie Woodhouse
Carlos Sainz didn't "over-react" to difficult start at McLaren.

Carlos Sainz didn't "over-react" to difficult start at McLaren.

Carlos Sainz insists the key to his recovery and breakout form in 2019 is not “over-reacting” after a poor start.

The first three races of the season came and went with no points for the Spaniard despite showing signs of strong pace, but after finishing P7 in Azerbaijan, Sainz has scored points in all but one race since, including back-to-back P5’s in Germany and Hungary.

Sainz now sits P7 in the Drivers’ Championship, and not “over-reacting” has been key to moving on from the early disappointment to pick up the results.

“Well given how badly it started, the first few races, and how unlucky I was during those two or three races, to be where I am at the moment is very positive,” Sainz is quoted by GPToday.net.

“The key there was to not over-react to the first few races, I think just keep doing what I was doing and as soon as the luck turned around a bit the results started coming.

“Since there honestly, since Baku, it’s been a very strong season, so I can’t complain.”

Sainz doesn’t believe a struggle to adapt played a part in his difficult first three McLaren races, in fact he thinks it took far less time to adapt to driving for McLaren than it did for Renault.

“Honestly it took me less time to adapt to McLaren than it took me to adapt to Renault,” he confirmed.

“In Australia FP1, FP2, FP3 I was really fast, in Bahrain I was really fast in qualifying, I was fighting Max [Verstappen] for a top five place.

“I was there during those three races but somehow the result never clicked, then as soon as the result arrived in Baku it started going smoother.”

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