Carlos Sainz: "We can nearly match Mercedes on the straights"
F1 News
Carlos Sainz believes that McLaren are progressing well and that they are just as fast as Mercedes on the straights but need to improve through the corners if they are to catch up. The team announced that both drivers would be staying at the team for next season and will hope that they can start to bridge the gap between the midfield and the top teams.
“We definitely found a way to start moving toward the top, but we are still very far away from where we want to be,” Sainz said to TopGear.
McLaren has a great set up and are consistently faster than the team that supplies their engine. However, Sainz is looking ahead instead of at the teams behind.
“We know how far away we are from our ultimate objective. It is important to stay humble, to stay realistic because we are still a second off from where we want to be. But at least there are signs of progress, the team is full of motivation and we are going to keep pushing.
“Nowadays Formula 1 is all about downforce; we have a decently competitive engine and we know we can nearly match Mercedes on the straights. We know they have downforce but they also have more drag, but it’s on cornering speeds where they are a good step ahead of us, together with Red Bull."
McLaren have been very impressive so far this season and will hope to perform well at their home Grand Prix this weekend.