Sainz regrets not being Verstappen's teammate: "We would be a strong duo"

The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has expressed his bewilderment at Red Bull’s decision not to sign him as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the current season. Sainz, who knew he would be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton, was in talks with Red Bull, which was considering options for Sergio Pérez’s seat. The situation at Red Bull remained unstable, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda occupying the second seat, but without managing to consolidate. According to reports, Red Bull’s concern resided in possible tensions between Sainz and Verstappen, based on their rookie season in the junior team in 2015.

In an interview, Sainz commented on his good relationship with Verstappen. “I get along very well with Max. We had a rivalry in our first year in Formula 1 at Toro Rosso, but it was a relatively healthy rivalry. Now we get along very well. That’s why I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want me alongside Max, because I think we would be a very strong pairing in Formula 1”. – Carlos Sainz Sources close to the decision suggest that the main internal concern was the dynamic between the drivers’ fathers, Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr.

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Finally, Williams signed the Spanish driver, who believes he could have performed better than Pérez, Lawson, and Tsunoda alongside Verstappen.

“I’ve been a teammate of Charles [Leclerc], of Lando [Norris], of Nico Hülkenberg, very fast guys, and probably the best in the sport. Now Alex [Albon] is also incredibly fast, and that makes me want to compete against the best. I know I can do it, and I know I’ve been successful in the past. I think everyone is having a really hard time being Max’s teammate. I can only say that when I was Max’s teammate, I didn’t have this hard time. Obviously, I was incredibly surprised at how fast he was, how crazy he is as a driver. I mean, he’s going to be one of the best in history, if he isn’t already. But that first year together, since then, has given me the confidence to know that I can compete against anyone”.
Carlos Sainz