Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were teammates at the junior team known as Toro Rosso. They rose through the ranks to make a name for themselves.
While Max was fast-tracked into Red Bull senior set-up, Sainz had to remain patient and wait for his turn.
The Spaniard waited three seasons with Toro Rosso before he was loaned to Renault back in 2017.
However, by 2019, Sainz left the Red Bull family completely by moving to McLaren.
McLaren a good battleground for Sainz
At McLaren, Sainz truly found himself and his driving style. As a result, he was considered to be the replacement for Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari.
Considering that Sainz really prospered after leaving Red Bull and the outfit struggling to find a number 2 for Max Verstappen, it is easy to assume that they had a tinge of regret.
However, Helmut Marko claims that it was a decision they could easily live with looking at Verstappen’s performance.
What did Marko say?
“At the time we were very strong, but in Max, we saw the very strongest driver,” Marko told Formel1.de.
“That’s why we chose Verstappen at the time and I think the results Verstappen has shown since then more than justify that decision.
“We didn’t send Sainz away and for good reason, we were very early to contract him.
“Verstappen and Sainz were very evenly matched, but we didn’t have the possibility to offer him more [than a spot at Toro Rosso].
“He was not convinced of the future prospects at Toro Rosso. His feeling was he was not progressing and he did not want to wait any longer. We first loaned him out and then we cancelled the contract completely.
“After all, we didn’t want to stand in the way of his future.”
Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Read More: Lewis Hamilton falls victim to naming McLaren ahead of Mercedes – “Will get in trouble for that”