Carlos Sainz reflects on his time as Max Verstappen‘s teammate at Toro Rosso. Although advisor Helmut Marko described the atmosphere between the two within the Red Bull junior team as ‘toxic’, for the Spaniard himself, it was not so difficult to drive alongside the now four-time world champion. ‘I like to compete against the best,’ reveals Sainz, indicating that being Verstappen’s teammate was actually motivating.
Carlos Sainz began his Formula 1 career simultaneously with Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso. The two drivers would remain teammates until the Dutchman was promoted to Red Bull during the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Since Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Pérez, and Liam Lawson have all been Verstappen’s teammates, and each one fell short next to the now four-time world champion.
Why do so many drivers struggle as Verstappen’s teammate? According to Sainz, he himself did not find it very difficult. “I can only say that when I was Max’s teammate, it was not so hard for me,” the Spaniard candidly shares in the High Performance podcast. “Of course, I was surprised at how fast he was and what an incredible driver he is. He is probably, or will become, one of the greatest of all time in history, if he is not already.”
Motivating
For Sainz, the performances of his talented teammate were actually motivating. “I’ve been the teammate of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Nico Hülkenberg. Very fast guys and probably the best in the sport,” continues the Madrid native. “And now Alex (Albon), also incredibly fast. I still want to compete against the best. I don’t have a feeling of no, I don’t want to. I know I can handle it and I know I’ve been successful in the past.”
According to advisor Helmut Marko, Sainz was ‘almost at the same level as Max Verstappen‘ during his Toro Rosso time. “The atmosphere between the two at Toro Rosso was quite toxic,” Marko tells Marca. Sainz admits that he indeed had a healthy rivalry with Verstappen in his first year in Formula 1, but now gets along well with the world champion. “If that’s the reason, I don’t understand why they don’t want me next to Max, because I think we would be a very strong duo in Formula 1,” concludes the Spaniard.
