Double World Rally champion, Carlos Sainz got his first 'proper' taste of the Renault R25 F1 car t🎐his weekend, and the Spaniard was left 'amazed' by the whole experience.

Sainz, who conducted a 'secret' shakedown test at Silverstone earlier this month on October 19, to familiarise himself with the car, did a number of demo runs th♐roughou☂t the weekend, as part of the bill for the final round of the World Series by Renault at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

Sainz, who like out-going Renault number one driver, Fernando Alonso, is a double world champion, having taken the WRC title in 1990 and 1992, was left bowled over by the whole experience: "The acceleration, the braking, the grip, everything is amazing in this car," he told the official Renault F1 website ,👍 after his first run on Saturday in 'Monaco like' hig🐲h down force configuration.

"I have just been testing in Tunisia for the Dakar Rally, so going from desert driving to a Formula 1 car is a pretty big change! They are totally dif💫fereℱnt - light years apart in fact. In Formula 1, you need to be a top athlete because the whole body is under duress."

Sainz did one run on Saturday at about 4.10 pm, before doing two more on Sunday, one at around 9.🐠55 am and a final blast at 3.20pm. By then he was left almost speechless.

"It is has been a unique experience, almost impossible to describe, and unlike anything I have felt before. I have been in a fighter plane, I have ridden a 500cc GP bike, but this is something else again," he concluded. "Re🔯nault has given me one of the best experiences of my life."