Sainz banking on long run pace after Q1 exit

For the third time this season, Carlos Sainz failed to drive his Renault into Q2 as he finished as the 16th fastest driver in Q1, making him the fastest to miss out on the second session of qualifying.

Sainz, who will race for McLaren next season after just one year at Renault, has underperformed compared to his team mate Nico Hulkenberg this season, scoring just 45 points compared to the German’s 69.

The Spaniard will have been hoping to end the season on a high and close the gap to Hulkenberg, along with securing fourth place in the constructors’ standings for Renault.

However, qualifying in P16 will not be what he had in mind, but he believes that the long run pace of his car could help him scythe through the field.

He told Sky Sports: "It was a disappointing Saturday in general. We knew it would be tight out there and things just didn't work out.

“The single-lap pace hasn't been there all weekend for us. Our long-run pace looked more promising on Friday and we know tomorrow is a new day.

“We have some options to explore on strategy and we'll be giving it a go in the race, like always."