Sainz: 'I get along fine with Verstappen, I told Red Bull too'

Sainz's expiring contract at Ferrari was not renewed. The Italians opted for Lewis Hamilton and so Sainz had to search for a new seat. Sainz was well placed in the market, spoke to several teams and eventually signed a deal with Williams.

Perez is contracted to race for Red Bull during the 2025 season, but there is doubt about his future. Sainz was sometimes mentioned as a possible replacement should Red Bull have decided to end their ties with the Mexican driver. There has always been a suggestion that Red Bull are not attracted by Sains due to his relationship with Verstappen, but the current Ferrari driver wants to shut that down.

"I think I could get on well with him. We were 16 and 19 at the time. We've grown up a lot since then. At Toro Rosso, they put you in a team and say: fight with each other, then we'll see who is the best and who gets promoted to Red Bull! That's why Toro Rosso exists. You don't drive there together for the constructors' championship, otherwise the behaviour of the two drivers would change completely," he said.

Speaking to Auto, Motor und Sport, the 30-year-old driver draws comparisons with his previous two teammates, Charles Leclerc (currently at Ferrari) and Lando Norris (in his time at McLaren). "There were never any problems. So if my relationship with Max was the reason why I didn't end up there [at Red Bull], I would say there would have been no problems. If the decision depended only on that, then it would just be wrong. But I've already told them that."

Adventure at Williams

Sainz - who signed a multi-year contract at Williams - is set to push his new employer to new heights. At Renault and McLaren, he has proven he can take a team forward. Doing the same at Williams is Sainz's mission.

"It is very similar," Sainz said. "I feel I am starting at Williams at a similar time to when I was at McLaren. The team is already through its worst phase by the time I get there. They are on their way up. My goal is to accelerate this upward trend. When I left McLaren, I knew I was leaving a good team and that they would be successful. I am happy that my feeling was confirmed three years later. From the conversations I have had, I feel there are good people working at Williams who are building a strong foundation and making the team competitive again."

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton