The veteran of touring car racing, who has also competed in the Dakar Rally, highlighted that the Spaniard was the most challenging teammate for Max Verstappen.
The Dutch driver’s opinion
The saga surrounding Carlos Sainz concluded after the last race before the summer break. Following the Belgian Grand Prix at the 7.004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, it was officially announced that the Spanish driver would be joining Williams with a multi-year agreement starting with the 2025 Formula 1 championship. After stints with Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari, Carlos Sainz continues his ‘tour’ of teams with a rich history, with team principal James Vowles proudly and satisfactorily noting that Williams had beaten Alpine and Audi in the race to sign the son of a rally legend.
Tom Coronel, on the Dutch site formule1.nl, compared Carlos Sainz to two drivers well known in Italy, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella, who upheld the Italian flag with distinction in the late ’90s and throughout the first decade of the 2000s.
“What I know is that Carlos Sainz has been the most difficult teammate for Max Verstappen since he entered Formula 1,” Tom Coronel said. “Max wasn’t at the level he is now, but the same goes for Sainz. In my eyes, Carlos Sainz is one of those drivers of whom people think, ‘he will never become world champion, but he could have been.’ His caliber is somewhat similar to that of Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella. I’m truly an admirer of Carlos Sainz, but I fear he will never have a serious chance to win a world title.”
Like Giancarlo Fisichella, Carlos Sainz had the opportunity to drive for Ferrari in his career and is currently tied with the Italian at three GP wins. Jarno Trulli won one race, in Monaco, in 2004.
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