Carlos Sainz Jr has said he has a “lot of trust” in McLaren to work towards restoring the glory days over the coming seasons.
After Fernando Alonso decided to leave Formula 1, Sainz ended his long-term affiliation to Red Bull and embark on a new challenge with McLaren.
And the Spaniard is confident that the 2019 season can help form the basis of a long-awaited revival after years of misery for the fallen giants.
“I think I want to see better results than [2018],” Sainz Jr said via Motorsport Week ahead of the new season.
“They also want to see it. Also evolution through the year. It’s a bit of everything.
“McLaren is perfectly capable of that. That’s why I’m going there.
“I have a lot of trust in them; I have a lot of trust in the second most successful ever F1 team.
“They’ve won, hopefully they will remember how to do it, and little by little in a mid-term project they [will] start going back to the top.”
Sainz has a two-year agreement in place with McLaren, but is open to staying at the team even longer – especially if he can emerge as the key driver to help take McLaren back towards the top.
“I am in a two-year commitment with them,” he said.
“I want, as a driver, but also as a fan because I am a McLaren fan, to see the team going forward.
“So, if we manage to get a good first year and a good head start on how things are going to evolve I really think I can create a family out of McLaren and spend a few years there.
“That’s my target at the moment.
“I’m going there going year-by-year, but also thinking about trying to be one of the key factors helping McLaren go back to the top.
“Because of that I’m extremely motivated, I’m extremely looking forward to it.”
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