Helmut Marko also stated that the Taurine team did not want to part with the Spanish driver's talent, but at that time "could not see a way to keep him with us.
Max Verstappen began his career as Carlos Sainz's teammate at Toro Rosso in 2015. The two had disagreements at that time, until the Dutchman was promoted to Red Bull in mid-2016. The Spaniard remained at Toro Rosso until the second half of 2017, when he moved to Renault.
Consultant to the energy team, Helmut Marko recalled the past atmosphere between the two drivers at Toro Rosso and revealed that the Taurinos did not want to get rid of Sainz - but the decision proved inevitable at the time.
"It was unlucky on his part to have Max (Verstappen) as a teammate. The atmosphere between the two of them at Toro Rosso was toxic. At that time, I couldn't see a way to keep him with us, so he left for Renault, then McLaren, and finally Ferrari," Marko revealed to The Red Bull Buletin.
The Red Bull consultant also made a point of highlighting the talent of the Spaniard, further justifying the option of going on paths with the driver. According to Marko, despite the little difference in performance between the two, the younger Verstappen had the upper hand in the choice.
"For a long time, he lived in the shadow of his father, a two-time world rally champion. He was unfairly taxed with the image of being the spoiled son of a driver when, in fact, Carlos constantly had to fight to stay ahead," he explained.
"There was an outcry because some felt that Carlos was 'forgotten'. His development was also very good, and the difference between him and Max was minimal. But despite having less experience, Max was the fastest driver - that's why we decided to promote him," Marko finally added.