Carlos Sainz Junior looked back on his relationship with his former Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen, stating that they got along well but there were moments when they could tear each other to shreds.
Sainz and Verstappen both made their debuts in the F1 in 2015 as teammates for Toro Rosso. The two youngsters were very well matched, with Sainz winning the qualifying battle 10-9. Verstappen did beat his Spanish teammate in terms of races, but it should be noted that Sainz had seven DNF's, to Verstappen's four. Verstappen eventually made the switch to Red Bull, swapping seats with Daniil Kvyat, and last season Sainz left Toro Rosso too, switching to Renault.
"I have good memories of it [being Verstappen's teammate]," Sainz told Motorsport.com
"We had some heated battles on the track, but I actually kind of liked that, looking back on it."
"If your teammate pushes you to your limits, it creates a bit of tension."
"But that's just healthy competition, I always knew we respected each other."
"It's true that we made each other's blood boil at times, but that happens when you're both competing at the peak of your powers."
It could happen that Verstappen and Sainz become teammates once more, only it would be at Red Bull this time. Daniel Ricciardo's deal at the Bulls is up at the end of the year, and Sainz still has a contract there, even though he drives for Renault. Would it be as close between the two as it was at Toro Rosso?
"I don't know, that's tough to say," Sainz responded.
Read more about:
Today
Popular on GPBlog
1
F1 LIVE | Verstappen and Red Bull warned, early exit from Ferrari predicted for Hamilton
956 times read
2
F1 Today | Hamilton exit predicted, and exclusive interview with former F1 driver
702 times read
3
How Tsunoda compares to Verstappen versus Lawson in 2025
641 times read
4
Horner calls Verstappen's 2021 title win 'the highlight of Red Bull's history'
602 times read