Sainz confident he'd 'work well' with Verstappen at Red Bull
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Carlos Sainz believes that a potential partnership with Max Verstappen at Red Bull would have worked out well, had the team chosen to reunite the two former teammates.
Following Ferrari's announcement that Sainz would be leaving the Scuderia at the end of 2024 to make way for Lewis Hamilton, the Spaniard was seen as a genuine contender for Red Bull's 2025 lineup.
Despite rumors suggesting that old tensions with Verstappen were a factor in Red Bull's decision to take a pass on Sainz's services, the Williams-bound driver believes their past would not have impacted their dynamic as teammates in 2025.
As Red Bull juniors, Verstappen and Sainz graduated to Formula 1 together in 2015 with Toro Rosso.
As young lions thrown into F1's competitive arena their rivalry at Toro Rosso was intense, spurred on by the hope of a promotion to Red Bull Racing, where Verstappen ultimately secured a seat early in 2016.
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Despite past competition, Sainz believes he and Verstappen have matured well beyond their early days.
"I think I would get on well with him. We were 16 and 19 years old back then. We've matured a lot since then," Sainz told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
"At Toro Rosso, they put you in a team and say 'Fight each other, then we'll see who's the best and who gets promoted to Red Bull!' – that's the reason why Toro Rosso exists.
"You don't drive there together for the team classification, otherwise the behaviour of the two drivers would change completely. You can see it with Charles [Leclerc] and Lando [Norris], my last two teammates – there were never any problems.
"So if my relationship with Max was the reason why I didn't end up there, then I would say that there would have been no problems.
"If the decision depended solely on that, then it would simply be wrong. But I've already told them that."
When asked where he sees himself compared to Verstappen and Norris in terms of mental resilience, Sainz highlighted that public perception can differ from reality.
While Verstappen is known for his unwavering self-confidence and Norris for his introspective self-critiques, Sainz explained that a driver's image isn't always accurate.
"That's just the external picture. Inside, it can look completely different for a driver," he said.
"As a driver, you can always play with how you are viewed from the outside. I'm not saying that Max isn't like that. Lando has decided to reveal a bit more about himself."
Sainz cautioned against relying too heavily on outside assessments of drivers' mental fortitude. He also acknowledged that his style, neither fully mirroring Verstappen's nor Norris', is often open to interpretation.
"I don't know if I'm somewhere in between or more in one direction," he added.
"But, as I said, you have to be careful with that kind of analysis. Drivers are quite capable of manipulating the public image in a certain way."
Sainz's remarks convey a strong sense of self-assurance as he enters a new chapter with Williams, signaling his determination to make an impact in 2025.
Although a Red Bull return with Verstappen will remain a hypothetical for now, Sainz's belief in his growth and adaptability speaks to his readiness to take on any teammate, past rivalries notwithstanding.
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