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Sainz: "If Verstappen is the new Senna, what am I?"

Published on 27 Jan 2016 10:41
6
By: Rob Veenstra

Carlos Sainz says his goal is to impress his bosses and win a promotion to Red Bull's senior team. "I know what I need to do to impress them," he said on Tuesday in a meeting with the Spanish media. "My goal is still to go to Red Bull and become the best driver and a world champion," added the 21-year-old.

It seems a difficult task for Sainz, however, given the hype surrounding his fellow rookie and Toro Rosso teammate, Max Verstappen. "Well," said Sainz when asked about the Dutch sensation, "Max did only three more overtakes than I did all season. Yet it feels like his were on TV more than mine were. But I did many other good and spectacular things that were not on TV but the team saw them. The telemetry, the numbers don't lie," he insisted.

So even when Verstappen is called a 'new Senna', Sainz says he is not overly worried. "If he is the new Senna and I beat him, then what am I?" he smiled. "I don't think too much about what the press says. When I hear what Horner, Marko, Alonso or Vettel says then I am calm, because the people who know see what I do."

But the risk remains that Red Bull will want to promote one of its newer stars, like new reserve Pierre Gasly, for 2017, leaving one of the current Toro Rosso drivers out in the cold. "It is true that the pressure is higher now," Sainz admitted, "but my career has been like that since 2014. Every year, it is all or nothing. Now that I know the best in F1, I know what I have to improve and how," he added. (GMM)

F1 News Max Verstappen Pierre Gasly

Replies (6)

Joep

Posts: 21
Let me tell you what you are Carlos. If you beat Max then you are God. And believe me you are no God. In 2015 Max was 2,5 times better than you while you had 3 times more experience in single seaters. Please stop crying like a baby and start driving. You look at Max and Max looks at Vettel, a four time world campion. Need I say more?
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- Jan 27 2016 - 16:58
- Hepp
  
  Posts: 200
  Yes. much more. Max is good, so is Carlos. As far as mentors: Max + Jos , Carlos + Fernando. I'll bet on Carlos and Fernando. to make it interesting, I will give you 1 Canadian dollar if Max has more driver's points than Carlos at the end of 2016.
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  Jan 27 2016 - 20:38
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Im not sure this season was very representative of their full potential, so I'll wait and see what 2016 will show.
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  Jan 27 2016 - 21:00
- Hepp
  
  Posts: 200
  calle.itw I agree with you. I still think Carlos and Max will be the talk of the town.
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  Jan 27 2016 - 21:53
- khasmir
  
  Posts: 893
  Verstappen definitely has the talent but needs some more experience. Sainz has more experience but was at the receiving end of the biggest share of reliability issues.
  This year should be very interesting between those two, I do not expect Verstappen to be mopping the floor with Sainz.
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  Jan 28 2016 - 17:55
- DutchTreath
  
  Posts: 5,058
  I only don't understand Carlos. Why do he make this kind of remarks. If you know that you are good and on even scale with Max you don't have to defend yourself in this way. I think both are good F1 material. Could be very interesting to see both drivers acting in 2016.
  + 0
  
  Jan 29 2016 - 14:07