Helmut Marko has lifted the lid on the “toxic” relationship between Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz when they were last Formula 1 team-mates.
They raced together for Toro Rosso for a little over a year, before Verstappen got the call-up to join the main Red Bull team. Sainz remained with the sister squad until the end of 2017, when he left for Renault.
In their only full season together, despite being the youngest driver, Verstappen comfortably gained the biggest advantage than his teammate. He scored 49 points to Sainz’s 18, which saw the Dutchman overtake his junior Red Bull teammate in the race for a seat in the more sensible team.
Given they were competing against each other for that change, it is only natural that there would have been an internal rivalry there. But, speaking to the Red Bulletin, team adviser Marko paints the picture of a total breakdown of their relationship.
“For a long time he lived in the shadow of his father, a two-time world rally champion,” the Austrian said of Sainz. “He was unfairly portrayed as the spoiled son of a racing driver when, on the contrary, Carlos had constantly struggled to get ahead.
“It was his bad luck to have Max as a teammate. The intermediate environment at Toro Rosso was toxic. In the setup we had at the time, I didn’t see a way to keep it with us, so he moved to Renault. , McLaren and then Ferrari. “
As Marko said, Sainz has remained part of one of F1’s most productive teams despite Verstappen delaying his progression at Red Bull. In fact, the Spaniard is one of only three drivers to win a race in 2023, and the only one to have done so without driving one of the omnipotent RB19 cars.
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His current Ferrari deal expires in 2024, and it is understood Sainz will be offered fresh terms. But the length of contract on offer is believed to be shorter than the one sanctioned for team-mate Charles Leclerc, with the Italians keen to keep one of their seats relatively open – which could potentially spark the Spaniard’s exit in the next couple of years.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, it could even trigger Sainz’s return to the Red Bull family. The publication claims the 29-year-old is on the shortlist of potential replacements for Sergio Perez, who is in the final year of his current deal and fighting for his future with the team.
Sainz would no doubt be one of the stronger external candidates. But Red Bull do already have good options in house, most notably Daniel Ricciardo who has made no secret of his desire to return to the seat he vacated more than five years ago.
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