
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Mexico Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 4, 2021 Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. REUTERS/Henry Romero

via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Mexico Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 4, 2021 Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz debuted in F1 together in 2015. Both drivers were talented and fast, but it was Verstappen who caught everyone’s eye and succeeded first, getting the coveted Red Bull seat. But Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed Sainz was just unlucky to come up against Max Verstappen.
Marko revealed they had to make a decision between Max and the Spaniard for the Red Bull seat. He also stated the decision to choose Max over Carlos did not sit well with the Spanish driver and his father.
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Carlos Sainz was almost on par with Max Verstappen: Red Bull advisor
As reported by Motorsport-Turkey, the Austrian mentioned that in their first Test in Silverstone, Sainz was on level power with the Dutch driver. He also revealed that the acclaim that the Spanish driver has been getting after his performance in the 2021 season is not surprising to him.
“Sainz was unlucky enough to face Verstappen when it mattered most. In the first test at Silverstone, we immediately saw that he was fast. He was almost on par with Verstappen. He was almost… But when we had to choose between Verstappen and Sainz, the choice was clear for us,” said Marko.

via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12, 2021, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after finishing second in the race and world championship with race and world championship winner Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and third-placed in the race Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
“Both (Sainz and his father) were disappointed with this choice, but his father was the most disappointed. We rented it to Renault first because his contract was still running.” Sainz is definitely one of the best drivers.
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He proved it. He broke Leclerc‘s spell for me. If you look at 2021, Sainz was at a very good level in terms of speed and Leclerc had a lot of crashes,” said the Austrian.
Well, this is a startling revelation by Marko as it poses the question of what would have happened if he had picked Carlos over Max. But it is nice to see that the Spanish driver has made his own way and put on an impressive display of gritty driving in the 2021 season. With F1 entering a new era, many expect Sainz to challenge Verstappen for the title. What is your take on this?
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READ MORE: Why did Ferrari Sign Carlos Sainz?
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