Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says the toxic atmosphere that prevailed at Toro Rosso in 2015 between Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz precluded the two drivers from evolving together.
Verstappen and Sainz made their Formula 1 debut together at Toro Rosso in 2015. But a year later, four races into the 2016 season, the Dutchman was promoted to a plum seat at Red Bull for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona, a race the then 18-year-old duly won.
Verstappen never looked back after his milestone triumph, but with Daniel Ricciardo also firmly installed at Red Bull, Sainz’s prospects with the energy drink company significantly dimmed.
This incited Marko to agree to lending the Spaniard to Renault for the end of 2017 and 2018, after which Sainz was released from his contract with Red Bull. He then moved to McLaren in 2019 and then to Ferrari in 2021
“Sainz is, without a doubt, a great driver,” Marko told Spain's Marca. “He was almost on par with Max in the Toro Rosso.
“He was very fast in the minor categories. In his first F1 test at Silverstone, right from the start, he was slightly quicker in the fast corners than Sebastian Vettel, who was our reference at that moment.
“The bad thing for him is that he was unlucky to have Verstappen as a team-mate.
“The atmosphere between the two in the team was quite toxic. The way the team was set up at the time, I didn’t see a way to keep him with us, so Carlos went to Renault, to McLaren and then ended up at Ferrari.”
Interestingly, Marko believes that Sainz has struggled to escape the shadow of his father, renowned rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr. which made it difficult for him to establish his own identity in the world of motorsport.
“For a long time Carlos lived in his father’s shadow,” he added. “He was unfairly burdened with the image of being the spoiled son of a racing driver while, on the contrary, he had to constantly fight to get ahead.
“Sainz was almost at the same level as Verstappen… almost, but when we had to choose between Max and Carlos, it was clear what we had to do.”
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