Formula 1: Carlos Sainz Jr. to replace Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2019

By Asher Fair | Aug 15, 2018

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 27: Carlos Sainz of Spain and Renault Sport F1 walks in the Paddock after practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 27, 2018 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

Carlos Sainz Jr. is set to replace two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren starting in the 2019 Formula 1 season.

On Tuesday, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso announced that he will be retiring from Formula 1 following the conclusion of the 2018 Formula 1 season, his 17th season driving in the sport.

It did not take long for McLaren, the team for which Alonso has driven in each of the last four seasons and five of his 17 seasons in Formula 1, to name the replacement for the 37-year-old Spaniard. The Woking-based team are set to sign 23-year-old Carlos Sainz Jr., another Spaniard, to replace Alonso starting next season.

Sainz Jr., who currently drives for Renault Sport, was left looking for a ride next season after Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo unexpectedly signed a two-year contract to drive for Renault as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate starting next season.

The 29-year-old Australian, who ironically almost signed with McLaren, has driven for Red Bull Racing since the 2014 season, and he has been in the Red Bull Racing organization since 2008.

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Sainz Jr.’s Formula 1 career began back in the 2015 season when he drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing junior team. He drove for the team in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and he drove for the team in the first 16 races of the 2017 season as well.

After it was confirmed that Sainz Jr. would be loaned to Renault by Red Bull Racing to replace the underperforming Jolyon Palmer at in the 2018 season, Palmer and Renault cut ties with four races remaining in the 2017 season. This caused Sainz Jr. to replace him earlier than expected, and he has driven for Renault ever since.

With Sainz Jr. still technically being a Red Bull Racing driver since he was only loaned to Renault, it was speculated that he had a good chance to replace Ricciardo at Red Bull Racing next season. However, that will not be the case.

Over the course of his four-year career in Formula 1, Sainz Jr. has been solid for a driver who has never driven for one of the sport’s top-tier teams. While he does not have any victories or podium finishes in 72 career starts, he has racked up 35 top 10 finishes, including two top five finishes. He finished in a career-high fourth place in last season’s Singapore Grand Prix, and he finished in fifth in this season’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sainz Jr. finished in 15th, 12th and ninth place in the driver standings in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 season, respectively. He currently sits in 11th in this season’s standings with 12 of the season’s 21 races having been completed.

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How will Carlos Sainz Jr. perform as Fernando Alonso’s replacement at McLaren starting in the 2019 Formula 1 season? Who will end up being the teammate to the 23-year-old Spaniard with the future of current McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne being uncertain?

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