Spanish driver Carlos Sainz believes that the atmosphere in the Toro Rosso team has improved since Max Verstappen left for Red Bull.
Sainz partnered Verstappen during last season and the first quarter of this season at the Italian based squad. The highly rated Spaniard feels that the team have “bonded” since Max left, also stating that the team have “started working a bit more together.”
Max slightly held the upper hand during their time as teammates, and a promotion to the main Red Bull team was awarded as a result. This saw Daniil Kvyat move in the opposite direction as a result partnering Sainz at this year’s Spanish GRand Prix
Asked how the change had impacted the ‘dynamic’ at Toro Rosso, Sainz told Autosport: “The only thing that has changed is I know Daniil a lot more from previous categories.
“I know how he works, how he acts, we know each other perfectly.
“With Max, it was a new team-mate for me from 2015 onwards.
“On the team dynamic, maybe everything is a bit more open, everyone started working a bit more together, maybe started working in more of a team.
“The separation was there but it is normal that it was there when you have two strong team-mates.”
The Spaniard also hinted at the rivalry between the two, and the odd bit of friction. Sainz said: “I was enjoying it. When you have two strong team-mates, there will always been some friction between the two drivers.
“It was not that I was not liking it. We had to deal with it but I didn’t see it as a bad situation.”
Sainz has since finished six of the last eight races inside the points, but is quick to insist this has nothing to do with Max leaving Faenza. He added: “I know you could correlate it because in theory when he left my results started coming but honestly, it has nothing to do with it.
“If Max had been in the team for the last 10 races it wouldn’t have changed massively the results I have achieved recently.
“It’s just lately, nothing has happened to me and I have proved consistency.”
I always get the impression that Max Snr was always pushing in the background and credit to Sainz Snr as he remains in the shadows allowing his son to develop on his own,its going to be fun watching both these kids plus when the younger Schumacher appears I hope we see a new generation
It was Jos who refused to buy Max a go-kart in a early stage, Jos wanted to wait for another 2 years(not 4 but 6 y.o). Max’s mother Sophie van Kumpen (very succesfull go-kart driver) was the one who had to convince Jos to buy Max his first go-kart. So Jos was never pushing Max in the background!
To make more clear how succesfull Sophie was, she has beaten Fisichella, Trulli and Button in a go-kart. So probably she was pushing Max’s carreer a lot more in a early stage than Jos did!
Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.
Maybe, maybe not. It definitely helps that DK is not performing at all, making his performances look even better. But good for him, he’s now the uncontested number 1 in the team since his teammate won’t even be there anymore next season