Max Verstappen says Carlos Sainz being retained by Toro Rosso does not add any pressure on him to deliver for Red Bull.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed on Wednesday that an option on Sainz had been taken up which would see him stay with Toro Rosso next season after recent impressive performances. Horner also said it was a nice problem to have to juggle four talented drivers across the two teams, as Red Bull is able to place each one wherever it sees fit.
Despite the endorsement, Verstappen believes he proved himself against Sainz enough to ensure his seat at Red Bull never comes under threat from the Spaniard.
"No I don’t feel the pressure from Carlos to be honest," Verstappen said. "I think I’ve shown at Toro Rosso how to beat him in the races and in qualifying. In general, I never really feel pressure so it’s OK for me.
"But at the end, you always try to do the best possible job and I think that’s always the approach in whatever team you are. And as long as you do a very good job, you have more opportunities than only one team."
And Verstappen - who is contracted at Red Bull until the end of 2018 - hinted he feels Sainz is unlikely to be able to move up in the near future.
"It’s good for him I think, another year in Formula One. I don’t know what his chances are with other teams but it’s good for him.
"You always try to fight for yourself, isn’t it? You try to do the best possible job. They chose me and I’m of course very happy with that."
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