Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. reportedly signed a deal to join Renault as Toro Rosso "prepares to part ways with Renault in favor of using Honda power" in F1 for '18, according to Sam Hall of AUTOWEEK. Reports surfaced over the weekend that Renault "will announce Sainz as the replacement driver for the struggling Jolyon Palmer" for '18 at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Sainz has been "angling for a move for the majority of the season" since Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are locked in at the senior Red Bull team, "limiting his opportunities to get into a potentially race-winning outfit." The deal is "basically the first of a domino effect." Toro Rosso will run with Honda power in '18 in a move that would "allow McLaren to pick up Renault engines." Honda "would then power Toro Rosso in exchange for McLaren gearboxes to accelerate the learning curve." Sainz "could make his Renault debut sooner than the season-opening Australian Grand Prix." Dissatisfied by the "lack of improvement" from Palmer, Renault is rumored to be "considering introducing" Sainz ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix on Oct. 1 (AUTOWEEK, 9/11).
