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'Intelligent Verstappen is the reason Sainz is not driving for Red Bull'
Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Max Verstappen may have blocked the arrival of Carlos Sainz at Red Bull Racing. However, the Colombian does not blame Verstappen for anything and thinks it would have been a smart move from the Dutchman if he had done so.
''I am sure that could be the case, although I cannot confirm that myself,'' the former F1 driver stated to Casasdeapuestas. bet. ''When they were teammates at Toro Rosso, their relationship was quite strained. I don’t think Max would want to deal with that again. Sainz made life very difficult for Max Verstappen back then. So, if you have the ability to control who is in the car like Max does, you wouldn’t want to make life difficult for yourself, would you?''
However, Montoya does not think it is a weakness of Verstappen's. ''It's not about fear, it's about intelligence. Why make your life unnecessarily difficult and create a difficult atmosphere in the team?''
Why Red Bull did not choose Sainz
Verstappen himself has never made a secret of the fact that he does not care who sits next to him at Red Bull Racing. The bond between Max and Carlos is also much better now than it was in 2015 when the two also fought each other for a spot at Red Bull Racing. That would be very different in 2025, with almost ten years having gone by since the last time they raced together as teammates.
However, Red Bull Racing chose not to strike a deal with Carlos Sainz early in 2024. Despite the Spaniard's departure announced before the 2024 season, Red Bull opted to renew Sergio Perez. An expensive choice in hindsight, as that new deal had to be bought out to finally put Liam Lawson in the car for 2025.
Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen have also repeatedly expressed their support for a line-up with a clear division: a first and a second driver. While rivals McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes opt for the strongest possible duo, Red Bull's drivers are often separated by some margin.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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