Carlos Sainz asserts he’d excel alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, dismissing past F1 tensions as a hindrance to collaboration.
Carlos Sainz believes he would be a good teammate for Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
The Spaniard will be replaced at Ferrari next year by Lewis Hamilton, and only teams like Williams, Audi-owned Sauber, and Alpine have clearly pursued him for 2025 and beyond.
Sainz’s father, rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr., has a strong relationship with Audi and its owner Volkswagen.
“He’s told me a thousand times how good they would be,” Sainz shares with Auto Motor und Sport.
“He’s 100% sure Audi will be strong in the future. I wanted to help build something, but I also wanted good short-term results, and in my opinion, Williams was the best option.”
“But it wasn’t an easy decision. Up until the day I signed, there were several good options. In the end, I had to follow my instincts.”
“Time will tell if I was right.”
Sainz clearly would have preferred to join another top team, with rumors circulating about a return to the Red Bull family—after making his debut with Toro Rosso in 2015.
Dr. Helmut Marko, however, stated months ago that he feared a Sainz-Verstappen reunion would be too explosive.
Sainz dismisses this theory.
“If my relationship with Max is the reason I didn’t end up there, then I’d say there wouldn’t have been any issues. If the decision rested on that alone, then it’s simply a mistake.”
“But I’ve already told them this. I think I would get along well with Max. We were 16 and 19 at the time, and we’ve both matured a lot since then. At Toro Rosso, they put you in a team and say, ‘Fight each other, and the better one will go to Red Bull.’”
“You don’t work together for the championship, or else both drivers’ behavior would completely change. You can see it with Charles (Leclerc) and Lando (Norris), my last two teammates. There were never any issues.”
There’s no doubt, however, that Verstappen is a dominant force not only at Red Bull Racing but in Formula 1 as a whole.
The Dutchman’s personality is also much more assertive. For example, during a live stream shortly after the announcement of the 2025 F1 season launch at London’s O2 Arena, Verstappen boldly stated, “I hope I’ll be sick that week.”
Sainz, however, believes that much of a driver’s image in F1 is “external.”
“Inside, a driver can present very differently. As a driver, you’re always playing with how you’re perceived from the outside.”
“I’m not saying Max isn’t as he appears. Lando has chosen to reveal a bit more of himself. I don’t know if I fall somewhere in between or lean one way, but—as I said—it’s important to be cautious with this type of analysis.”
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Sainz Rejects Early F1 Rift as Barrier to Verstappen Partnership Sainz Rejects Early F1 Rift as Barrier to Verstappen Partnership
