Carlos Sainz will replace outgoing Fernando Alonso at McLaren from 2019

McLaren has announced that Carlos Sainz will join the team for the 2019 Formula 1 season having signed a multi-year deal.

The 23-year-old said “I’m delighted to finally be able to confirm that I’ll be a McLaren driver from the 2019 season. It’s something I’ve been looking at for a while and I’m very excited about this next chapter in my career.

“I’ve been a McLaren fan for as long as I can remember. It’s a great name in the sport with an incredible heritage, and the list of drivers that have raced for McLaren over the years are among the heroes of Formula 1.”

Sainz won the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series and went on to race for Toro Rosso in F1. He joined Renault on loan from Red Bull in 2017 but Daniel Ricciardo’s surprise switch left his future in the balance. 

McLaren boss Zak Brown added: “We’ve been assessing him for some time now and rate him very highly among the next generation of young talent emerging through the ranks in Formula 1.

“Carlos brings with him the perfect blend of youth and experience. Although he’s just 23, he’ll be starting his fifth season in the sport with us and will bring with him a huge amount of racing experience, both in Formula 1 and with our partner Renault.”