Sainz: Weird season doesn't reflect progress

Carlos Sainz believes that a "weird" 2018 Formula 1 season hasn't reflected his progress so far. The Spaniard is currently 11th in the standings, having racked up 30 points driving for Renault.

However, the 23-year-old hasn't been without issues this year, picking up a DNF in Great Britain and having a significant engine problem in France. The future of the former Toro Rosso driver is uncertain, as he will leave Renault at the end of the season to make way for Daniel Ricciardo.

It is believed that Sainz could be on his way to McLaren to partner Fernando Alonso, a driver he idolised growing up. But as he trails current teammate Nico Hulkenberg in the driver's standings, he thinks it has been a strange season for himself so far.

"It's been weird, because I was achieving a lot of points at the beginning of the year without being 100 per cent comfortable with the car, and working very hard to get it a bit back [to where I was comfortable],” said Sainz before F1’s summer break started.

"I think Barcelona was a good turning point, where I was able to get that stability, that confidence with the car. And since then, a lot of things have happened to me on race day and the points suddenly are not coming, even if I'm pretty confident with the car.

"Paul Ricard was a good example, where we have an engine issue and issues towards the end. We did a perfect weekend, then a good qualifying in Austria, and in Hockenheim with the old front wing, and running in the points always. But situations on Sundays have made me miss on quite a lot of points, and sometimes a championship doesn't reflect the whole picture of the year."