Renault prepare for Carlos Sainz departure

Renault are preparing a driver list ready for a Carlos Sainz replacement if is to leave the team next season. Sainz is at Renault in a ‘loan’ type deal from Red Bull. 

Daniel Ricciardo’s future is still unconfirmed and if he is to leave Red Bull, it’s likely that Sainz will move into that role. Without confirmation, Cyril Abiteboul confirms he is keeping a close eye on proceedings in the Austrian team. 

“We’ll pay attention to two things: how Carlo’s performance evolves, and how the driver situation evolves at Red Bull,” Cyril Abiteboul told motorsport. “We’re well aware this could have an impact on Carlos’s availability for next year. 

“My responsibility is to make sure there are alternatives if Carlos were not available for us in the time frame that seems reasonable and necessary for us to define next year’s line-up.”

If any action is needed to be taken, it’s unlikely the team will use their academy set-up. But Abiteboul said this is part of the plan for post-2020 when new engine regulations come into play. 

“I couldn’t see myself asking Helmut [Marko] to take on a driver of ours, that’s for sure. We’re not going to do it with McLaren either. But when we start thinking about our customer engine strategy for 2021, clearly, an element that will be on my mind is the customer’s ability to take on a driver from our academy,” he added. 

If Sainz is to leave, who do you see replacing him? Let us know in the comments!