Sainz ’not obsessed’ with beating Hulkenberg

Carlos Sainz insists he is not obsessed with beating his teammate Nico Hulkenberg in Baku.

Since joining Renault late last year, the Spaniard has not once out-qualified his German teammate.

Sainz might be forgiven for being alarmed at that statistic, as he is pushing to either stay at Renault in 2019 or replace Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull.

Asked if he can finally beat Hulkenberg in Baku, Sainz told El Mundo Deportivo: "I don’t know, because if it’s one or two tenths it can fall either way.

"That’s why I don’t obsess about it. I only know that I have to improve but I also know what margin of improvement I have and what I can give when I have 100pc confidence," he added.

"I’m calm because I’m close, and as soon as I find the right setup, everything will be fine."