Sainz: When I left McLaren, I had the feeling they were going the right way

Sainz drove for McLaren for two Formula 1 seasons - 2019 and 2020 - and achieved his first career in the sport with them at the 2019 Sao Pauli Grand Prix.

McLaren have been in painfully long rebuild process since former boss Ron Dennis was ousted back in 2017 after a bitter power struggle with other shareholders.

After several changes in the team's organization, finally in 2023, McLaren made a huge step midseason to close the gap in the front, and followed that up in 2024 as since their Miami upgrade, they have been contenders every weekend.

Sainz left for Ferrari before enjoying the success McLaren have achieved, and facing the media in the FIA Drivers' press conference over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, the Spaniard was asked whether his former team's success came as a surprise.

He said: "I wouldn't say I would have ever predicted it. I think when I left McLaren four years ago, I did have the feeling the team was going in the right way and it was a very good place to be and I enjoyed my time there.

"So, when I left, I left with a feeling that it was more maybe a matter of time – it was going to take them two years, four years, six years to be McLaren again, which we all know how much success they've had in history. But I do feel they were the right people at the time to lead that team towards the front of the field again.

"It took three to four years since I left," Sainz pointed out. "And especially this last year, I think, is when they've shown the real strength and the big steps, which have come in a very short amount of time, but very, very big.

"Hats off to them," the driver who will join Williams in 2025 concluded.

Another driver attending the press conference was Daniel Ricciardo, also a previous McLaren driver, had a tough time at McLaren and was shown the door at the end of the 2022 F1 season, the highlight of his foray in Papaya being a win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

Asked about his view on the subject, Ricciardo, always the joker, quipped: "I mean, I won a race there, so I don't know what you're talking about! I had heaps of success there.

"It's hard," the Australian added on a more serious note. "Obviously, most of my time there was a bit more of a struggle or a challenge. Did I predict this? I'm not going to say yes, because I don't think I did. So I guess from that point of view, it is a bit of a surprise that in two years, less than two years, they are probably currently the quickest package on the grid."

Ricciardo insists he doesn't feel bad that McLaren weren't as competitive when he was driving for them, he said: "I also don't look at that like, 'oh man, like if only I could have had that'.

"That's the sport, that's how it is. And I think as Carlos said before, you take your hat off to them. Anyone in this sport that's doing well and developing and making such a big step in a short amount of time, you have to compliment that," the VCARB driver concluded.