Sainz ready to trade penalty hits for engine performance
Carlos Sainz says he will have no problem taking engine grid penalties in 2018 if the sacrifice helps his Renault F1 team make long-term progress.
Team boss Cyril Abiteboul has said the French manufacturer is considering factoring in grid penalties by deliberately using more than this year's reduced limit of three elements per season.
That strategy would allow Renault to extract more performance more consistently, because of reduced mileage requirements, and it will also create extra opportunities to introduce planned upgrades later in the season.
"For me this is a minor thing in the whole year," Sainz told Motorsport.com.
"When there's a rule that you can use only three engines for the whole season, and you are a team that is not worried about 2018, you are worried about being world champions in 2020, you need to make progress.
"And to make progress you need to put engines on the track and test them, and try to put the performance on them.
"It's a reminder that this is a team that's using 2018 as a development year, and in a development year you need to bring new things into the pool, and start testing.
"It might not be ideal, but we're not fighting for the world championship, so it's not like starting last one race is going to change things."
Sainz acknowledged that while Renault closed the gap in 2017, it is a moving target, as Mercedes and Ferrari have continued to develop their engine packages.
"With three engines through the year, it's very difficult to cover that gap," he said.
"This way, you get more upgrade opportunities [by using more engines], so that's precisely why they are doing it.
"I didn't expect it to be announced so early, but I already heard the rumours.
"I'm happy, because it means the team really wants to progress. They are not worried about reliability, it's just about performance."
Alfa Romeo has made Sauber "much more attractive"
How can Sirotkin silence the doubters?
Haas: No plans to change F1 team model despite nearing budget cap
Gunther Steiner says there is no plan for Haas to change the model of its Formula 1 team despite nearing the budget cap with a new title sponsor.
Riley Herbst will make NASCAR Cup debut at Daytona 500
NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Riley Herbst will make his Cup Series debut in the season’s biggest race – the Daytona 500.
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
IndyCar reveals new Medical Unit for 2023 season
This week’s two-day IndyCar test at Thermal Club near Palm Springs, CA. will see the series debut its new mobile medical facility.
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.