Sainz describes honour of replacing Alonso at McLaren
Sainz describes honour of replacing Alonso at McLaren
Carlos Sainz Jr says it is "particularly special" that his much-anticipated move to McLaren arrives as Fernando Alonso's replacement in the team. Sainz had been tipped to partner his childhood idol in the Woking squad, but Alonso's impending Formula 1 departure will see him take on a different role.
McLaren confirmed the signing of Sainz on a "multi-year agreement" on Thursday, just two days after it was revealed that Alonso will not race in F1 next year.
With Daniel Ricciardo making a shock move to Renault and Pierre Gasly the favourite to replace him, Sainz may have feared for his F1 future as the two seats he was contracted to in 2018 were filled, but he can now look forward to a fifth consecutive season on the grid.
"I'm delighted to finally be able to confirm that I'll be a McLaren driver from the 2019 season," Sainz said.
"It's something I've been looking at for a while and I'm very excited about this next chapter in my career.
"I've been a McLaren fan for as long as I can remember. It's a great name in the sport with an incredible heritage, and the list of drivers that have raced for McLaren over the years are among the heroes of Formula 1.
"Fernando is of course one of them, so it's particularly special that I'll be taking his seat as part of the next generation of Spanish racing drivers behind the wheel of a McLaren.
"Finally, I'd like to thank everyone at McLaren for giving me this opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream. The team has a long-term plan for the future and I'm very much looking forward to playing a key role in its journey back to success."
McLaren have not confirmed Sainz's team-mate but reports suggest that it is a choice between Alonso's current partner Stoffel Vandoorne and McLaren's prodigious junior driver Lando Norris.
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton F1 rival makes SURPRISE claim about Ferrari move
- 30 minutes ago
Schumacher names shock F1 star to replace Hulkenberg at Haas
- 1 hour ago
Hamilton in Arsenal title wish after STUNNING revelation
- 2 hours ago
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- 3 hours ago
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- Today 12:58
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- Today 12:04
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860