Sainz: Best start of my F1 career key to Monaco GP result 

Carlos Sainz Jr says “one of the best starts” of his Formula 1 career was key to setting up his strong result at the Monaco Grand Prix. 

The McLaren driver swept around the outside of Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvyat on the opening lap, before a decision not to pit during the Safety Car helped him gain further places from Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen. 

Sainz went on to equal his best-ever finish around Monaco and record his joint-best result of the 2019 season in sixth place. 

“After the start, where I managed to gain the position on Albon and Kvyat around the outside of Turn 3, that put me in a really good mood because I thought I had done one of the best starts of my career,” Sainz said. 

“From there on I just put the right pace in when it counted before and after the pit stops. The team did a great job calling me in just in the moment we needed to be called in. 

“P6 sounds easy but it was actually hard-fought because that move around the outside of Turn 3, then pushing at the right time, I think I did fastest lap coming out of the pits so we just showed really good pace when it mattered.”

YES! P6 in Monaco! No image can describe the feeling at T3! But hope you enjoy this view! @McLarenF1 @EG00 #carlo55ainz #monacogp pic.twitter.com/koGFVSJRlT

— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) May 26, 2019

Sainz felt his double pass on the Toro Rosso duo around the outside of Massenet was “probably the best move” of his career. 

“I managed to pass the two Toro Rossos around the outside of turn three which was probably the best move of my career in F1 until now,” he added.

“We knew I had some pace left after the Safety Car. That’s why we didn’t pit, we knew we had tyre left. We put together a strong 10, 12 laps after the Safety Car. We opened a good gap and then we pitted just when we had to pit.

“It was tight and I had to defend, I think I did fastest lap of the race right after trying to defend the over-cut of Daniil Kvyat. It was just great timing, great call and just good pace when it counted.”