I didn’t have a tough time alongside Verstappen like his recent team mates – Sainz

Carlos Sainz Jnr says he doesn’t understand why Red Bull never gave him the opportunity to drive for their top team in Formula 1.

The Williams driver arrived in F1 10 years ago as part of Red Bull’s junior talent programme. Red Bull placed him at their second team, then known as Toro Rosso, alongside Max Verstappen.

However while Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull during his second season, Sainz never got the chance to join him there. Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko claimed the relationship between the pair was “toxic.”

“This is what people have concluded or what people are trying to explain it or to understand it,” Sainz told High Performance. “The only thing I can say is that I genuinely get on well with Max.

“This is something people don’t see from the outside. We had a rivalry in our first year in Formula 1 in Toro Rosso, but it was a relatively healthy rivalry in terms of him and me, the way we used to go about racing.

“Now we get on really well. So, if that’s the reason, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want me next to Max because I think we would actually be a very strong pairing in Formula 1.”

Verstappen scored the majority of Toro Rosso’s points but the two drivers were otherwise closely matched – more so than the multiple champion has been with most of his team mates since then. Sainz said his time alongside Verstappen and other drivers has convinced him he is quick enough to compete with the best.

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“I think everyone’s having a really tough time being Max’s team mate. I can only say that when I was Max’s team mate, I didn’t have this tough time.

“I was obviously incredibly surprised with how quick he was, with how he’s an insane driver. I mean, he’s probably, he’s going to be one of the best ever in history, if he’s not already one. But that first year together since then has given me the confidence to know I can be against anyone.

“I’ve been team mates with Charles [Leclerc], with Lando [Norris], with Nico Hulkenberg. Very quick guys, and probably the best in the sport. Now Alex [Albon], incredibly fast also, and just makes me want to be up against the best, still. I know I can take it, and I know that I’ve been successful in the past.”

Red Bull passed up an opportunity to rehire Sainz last year when they chose to replace Sergio Perez alongside Verstappen. However they chose Liam Lawson instead – then dropped him after two races as they were dissatisfied with his performance.

Mercedes also declined to pick Sainz up when he lost his Ferrari drive to Lewis Hamilton. “We obviously talked a lot with Toto [Wolff, CEO] at the time and everyone,” Sainz acknowledged. “I was an option for sure, I was considered. How close, I can go and ask Toto, but I think he’s very happy with Kimi [Antonelli].”

Sainz admitted he went through a low point last year when he discovered he was not going to have the chance to join one of the front-running teams for 2025.

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“I understood and I told myself, ‘Carlos, that’s not happening: take the decision where you go next and what’s the shortest route to winning again, the route is going to be longer than what you thought.’

“Because when I went, honestly, when Ferrari didn’t renew me, I [thought] I can still be in a competitive car for ’25. Then it took three or four months and then there was a point where I said I’m not going to be in a race-winning car for ’25.

“That was probably the second lowest moment. But then it completely changed my mindset and I managed to see it as a positive.”

Williams team principal James Vowles eventually persuaded him to join them for this season. “Williams and James were very good at selling that to me and giving me that environment to say, ‘I’m actually really looking forward to be in that environment’ and feeling loved in the right way. That’s what makes me smile now being in Williams.”

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