Carlos Sainz has been a positive addition to the Renault team.
That is the view of team advisor and F1 legend Alain Prost, amid speculation the French team might try to retain Sainz for 2019.
Renault signed the Spaniard for this year only, despite the fact that Red Bull could pull him back into their family to replace Daniel Ricciardo.
Prost told Italy’s Autosprint: "We knew taking Sainz would be a risk. But it is important to take this kind of risk to advance the team.
"It was a positive decision for the team and for Nico (Hulkenberg), because you can see how it has raised his (Hulkenberg’s) level even further."