Toro Rosso F1 team more open since Verstappen left - Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jr believes Toro Rosso has become "more of a team" since Max Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull in Formula 1
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said earlier this year that part of the reason for Verstappen swapping places with Daniil Kvyat was the "considerable unrest" at Toro Rosso.
When asked by Autosport if the dynamic had changed since being paired with Kvyat, Sainz said: "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."
Sainz, who maintains he had and still has a good relationship with Verstappen, admitted the Dutchman's departure took the heat out of the situation but he added: "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."
But Sainz does not believe Verstappen leaving the team had anything to do with his upturn in form.
"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," he said.
"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."
SAINZ LESS DISTRACTED NOW
Toro Rosso technical director James Key believes Sainz has been less distracted with beating his team-mate since Verstappen departed.
"He has come on really well this year," Key told Autosport.
"He is a really good guy to work with anyway, he always has been.
"People in the team have huge respect for what he has done, even though it has been slightly under the radar for reasons we know.
"But that reason has moved on now and that allowed him to perhaps be slightly less distracted by beating his team-mate and more on beating the other guys on track as best as he can.
"He has been very focused recently, he's matured a lot this year and he's gained a lot of confidence in himself, so his approach to race weekends is more relaxed.
"It is a bit more like a guy who has been doing it for a long time rather than a rookie who wants to prove himself. He's come on a long way."
What Manor F1 driver switch means for Mercedes' junior drivers
Rio Haryanto accepts Manor F1 reserve driver offer after losing seat
Daytona 24: Westbrook’s Ganassi Cadillac tops second practice
Richard Westbrook ensured Cadillac’s new V-LMDh snagged top spot in second practice for the Daytona 24 Hours, ahead of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura.
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Why the new Williams boss shouldn’t avoid ‘Mercedes B-team’ comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.