Sainz hails ‘special’ rally run in Monte Carlo

Carlos Sainz fulfilled a lifelong dream as he drove the final stage of the Rallye Monte-Carlo for Renault on Sunday.

The Spaniard, whose father Carlos Sainz Sr is a legend in the world of rallying, got behind the wheel of a new Renault Mégane R.S to tackle the last stage.

He acted as the VIP course car to take on the 13.58km SS17 La Cabanette-Col de Braus stage through the Alpes-Maritimes surrounding the Principality of Monaco.

“That was very special,” said Sainz. “I have dreamt about doing this a lot of times in my life and now thanks to Renault it has come true.

“I have always wanted to do a rally with a co-driver, pace notes and a good pace and I loved it. The car was really good. It had different modes of driving that I was testing to get fully comfortable.

“You had the race mode, sport mode and a bit of traction control that you could adjust. The steering was very accurate and suspension was stiff for the twisty sections so I was really enjoying it a lot.

“It was a fantastic experience – quite slippery in places to give the full Monte Carlo experience ! My dad just told me to take it carefully, but I had a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for the opportunity.”