Carlos Sainz Jr's 'ask Christian Horner' response as he clears up Max Verstappen rift rumours
Carlos Sainz Jr believes only Christian Horner knows why Red Bull did not try to sign him as Max Verstappen's partner. Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari brought down the curtain on Sainz's time with Scuderia.
As Sergio Perez struggled in the second Red Bull car last year, Sainz had a more successful final season with Ferrari. He finished fifth in the overall standings, 67 points ahead of his successor Hamilton and 138 ahead of Perez.
After the Mexican's exit from Red Bull was confirmed, it seemed logical for Horner – who was recently sacked by the Milton Keynes based F1 team – to consider Sainz. However, nearly a year after Helmut Marko claimed Sainz and Verstappen had a toxic relationship in their campaign together in 2015, Liam Lawson was instead promoted to the second seat.
He was swiftly replaced by fellow Racing Bulls graduate Yuki Tsunoda after just two Grands Prix. Sainz, who went on to join Williams, admitted he was confused as to why Red Bull did not try and sign him, stating he has a good relationship with Verstappen.
On The High Performance podcast, when asked if he thinks Verstappen didn't want him at Red Bull, Sainz replied: "This is what people have concluded or how people are trying to explain or understand it.
"The only thing I can say is that you will need to go and ask Christian or whoever seems competent to answer this question. The only thing I could say is that I genuinely get on well with Max.
"That is what people do not see from the outside. We had a rivalry in our first year in F1, but it was a relatively healthy rivalry in terms of him and me, the way we used to go about racing.
"Now we get on really well. So if that's the reason, I don't understand why they would not want me next to Max, because I think we would actually be a very strong pairing in F1."
Horner was recently dismissed as team principal, with Verstappen currently behind leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the Driver's Championship table. Sainz has also struggled at Williams and remains without a podium finish.
Whilst there was a touch of frustration in Sainz's comments, the Madrid-born racer has also looked at the broader perspective. He added: "I think everyone is having a really tough time being Max's team-mate. I can only say that when I was Max's team-mate, I did not have this really tough time. I was obviously, incredibly, surprised with how quick he was.
"He is an insane driver. He is going to go out as one of the best drivers in history, if he's not already one of the best ever in history, but that first year together, since then, has given me the confidence to know that I can be up against anyone.
"I have been team-mates with Charles (LeClerc), Lando (Norris) and Nico (Hulkenberg), I have been team-mates with very quick guys, probably the best in the sport, and now Alexander (Albon) who is incredibly fast.
"It just makes me want to be up against the best still, it hasn't made me go, 'No, I don't want this.' I know I can take it and I know I have been successful in the past."
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