15/07/2025 10:10
Carlos Sainz has addressed how Red Bull drivers crumble alongside
Max Verstappen, a type of pressure he is confident he "can take".
The Spaniard partnered Verstappen at Toro Rosso in 2015, in what
was both drivers first season in Formula 1. Sainz performed well
against the four-time world champion, and did not endure the
struggles that team-mates currently suffer next to the 27-year-old.
Since Verstappen moved to Red Bull early in the 2016 season, every
driver to partner him has gone on to underperform and fail to cope
with the pressure of being alongside him – Daniel Ricciardo was an
exception. It has resulted in the second seat at the Milton
Keynes-based outfit being judged as cursed, with current Red Bull
number two driver Yuki Tsunoda having scored just seven points in
the last 10 grands prix. Sainz is adamant he would not face a
similar fate next to the Dutchman, and that partnering him in 2015
has helped him take on some of the strongest drivers on the grid
when in the same garage. Discussing on the High Performance podcast
that moving to Red Bull for a fast car does not mean everything is
necessarily perfect, Sainz said: "Exactly, I think everyone's
having a really tough time being Verstappen's team-mate. "I can
only say that when I was Max's team-mate, I didn't have this tough
time. I was obviously incredibly surprised with how quick he was,
with how he's an insane driver. He's probably going to go on to be
one of the best-ever 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 I can be up against anyone.
I've been team-mates with Charles [Leclerc], Lando [Norris], with
Nico Hulkenberg. "I've been, I think, team-mates with very quick
guys and probably the best in the sport, and now Alex [Albon],
incredibly fast also. "So it just makes me want to be up against
the best still, it hasn't made me go on like, 'No, I don't want', I
know I can take it, and I know I've been successful in the past."
