Carlos Sainz Sr. believes his son deserved the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen, praising his talent and hunger to win.
Sainz Sr. believes his son would have jumped at the opportunity to once again be Max Verstappen’s teammate.
This comes despite Gerhard Berger, one of the people who knew the great Ayrton Senna best, stating that even the legendary Brazilian wasn’t as good as Verstappen is today.
“For a long time, I thought Ayrton was the greatest driver of all time. Now, I believe Max Verstappen is even better than him. Max has a level of talent I had never seen before.”
Red Bull Door Closed
Sainz was turned down not only by Red Bull but also by Mercedes after losing his seat at Ferrari last year, eventually settling for a drive with Williams for 2025 and beyond.
However, Sainz Sr., the 63-year-old rally legend and a potential FIA presidential candidate, added: “Of course, Ferrari is one of the best teams in Formula 1. We were sad, of course. It was quite unexpected. But that’s life. Sometimes you’re lucky and land a contract, and sometimes you have to go.”
Red Bull brought Sainz into Formula 1 ten years ago through its junior team Toro Rosso, pairing him with Verstappen. It’s believed Red Bull hesitated to reunite the two this year, preferring a team structure with Verstappen as the clear number one.
Nonetheless, Sainz Sr. admitted: “I would have liked to see him alongside Max at Red Bull. I’m sure he would have loved that challenge.”
“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. You can ask Carlos himself. He might say no today, but he would have liked to drive for Red Bull.”
Sainz Eyes Williams Rise
The Spaniard has already shown signs of frustration this year, though his father, Sainz Sr., put things into perspective.
“He is happy at Williams now. It just shows he wants more because the team is showing it has more to give. He has a team behind him that trusts and respects him.“
The Williams F1 driver has indeed publicly questioned the team’s operations and race strategies after the last two races in Miami and Imola. However, he is encouraged by the fact that Williams and Ferrari are now often competing against each other.
“I knew I was joining a team with the potential to one day reach Ferrari’s level. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come,” he said in Monaco.
“But it’s happening sooner than expected. I also understand that I can make a difference by pushing for certain improvements to the car. That gives me a lot of confidence, because I see I have the potential to guide the team in the right direction.”
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