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How Sainz & Verstappen Inadvertently Pushed This Talented F1 Driver Out of the Red Bull Programme
Red Bull are known to bring in the best talent to the Formula One grid. Drivers such as Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were part of the team’s driver programme but it came at the cost of letting go of Jean-Éric Vergne.
The then Toro Rosso driver explains how Sainz and Verstappen inadvertently got him kicked off the team. He recalls the conversation he had with the team advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko about being replaced by the Dutch driver.
Ex-F1 driver opens up about how Verstappen and Sainz accidentally kicked him off the team
The Milton-Keynes squad are known to be a bit ruthless when it comes to selecting their drivers. And through their programme, they have got Sainz and Verstappen on the F1 grid. Vergne talks about the conversation he had with Marko when Sainz and Verstappen replace him at the sister team.
Speaking on an episode of the podcast, Beyond the Grid, as quoted by Motorsport.com. Vergne said, “I got a call in the summer to tell me that I was going to be replaced by a younger driver, I knew it was Max Verstappen. I told myself that this was the game, that there was no place at Red Bull. Helmut Marko told me: ‘ At the end of the year, it’s over. ‘It was good that he told me so early in the season, but at the same time it was probably my biggest problem that he told me so early. “
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 24, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during the race REUTERS/Mike Blake
He added, “Franz Tost (director of Scuderia Toro Rosso) wanted to keep me, because he wanted to have an experienced rider alongside Max, but again Red Bull could have said ‘OK, we will keep Vergne at Toro Rosso’, but there was another very young rider and promising, Carlos Sainz. They put him in place of Kvyat, who was going to Red Bull.”
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Where are the two drivers from Red Bull’s program now?
Verstappen finds himself on the main team, alongside Sergio Perez. The Dutch driver is currently leading the championship and is having an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton for the 2021 title.
Meanwhile, Sainz is at Ferrari where he drives alongside Charles Leclerc. Max and Carlos find themselves with top teams on the grid and often put on a great battle during a Grand Prix weekend.
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 24, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during a press conference after winning the United States Grand Prix FIA
The next race on the Formula One calendar is the Mexican Grand Prix. What is your prediction for Sainz and Verstappen for the upcoming race? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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