The 'Sainz Effect': Why Jacques Villeneuve Believes He's the Perfect Teammate for Max Verstappen
Jacques Villeneuve argues Red Bull missed a key opportunity by not signing Carlos Sainz to partner Max Verstappen, citing the Spaniard's proven ability to improve every team he joins through deep technical understanding and car development skills—qualities he shares with Verstappen.
Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Carlos Sainz possesses a unique ability to elevate any team he joins, a quality Red Bull may have overlooked by passing on him due to past tensions with Max Verstappen. Villeneuve argues that Sainz's deep technical understanding and development-focused approach are precisely what a top team needs in a second driver to push both the lead driver and the car forward.
Why it matters:
The dynamic between a team's drivers is critical for success, especially when chasing championships. A second driver who can consistently score points, provide reliable performance data, and contribute to car development is invaluable. Villeneuve's comments suggest Red Bull's decision to prioritize avoiding past friction over acquiring a proven team-builder could be a strategic misstep, especially as they integrate a new teammate for Verstappen.
The Details:
- Villeneuve points to Sainz's career trajectory, stating, "Every team he’s been to, he’s made the teams better every time." He highlights Williams' jump from 9th in 2024 to 5th in the 2025 Constructors' Championship with Sainz, who secured two podiums.
- The core of the missed opportunity, according to Villeneuve, is Sainz's driver profile. He describes Sainz and Verstappen as sharing an "old-fashioned" comprehension of the car, going beyond simple feedback to deeply understand and diagnose performance issues while driving.
- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko acknowledged the past "toxic" atmosphere between Sainz and Verstappen during their 2015 Toro Rosso stint, fueled partly by their fathers, as the reason for not pursuing Sainz in 2024. Marko conceded Sainz was "almost at the same level" as Verstappen back then.
- Sainz himself expressed confusion over the reasoning, noting their rivalry was "relatively healthy" and that they now get on well, believing they would make a "very strong pairing."
The Big Picture:
Villeneuve draws a sharp contrast between Sainz's approach and that of many modern drivers. He criticizes drivers who rely solely on post-session data without the innate ability to formulate the right technical questions, often leading development astray. In his view, Sainz's strength lies in his capacity to adapt his driving to diagnose a car's fundamental flaws, fix them, and then return to his optimal style—a skill that benefits the entire team's performance curve.
What's Next:
Sainz remains committed to Williams for 2026, continuing his project to revive the historic team. At Red Bull, Max Verstappen will partner with rookie Isack Hadjar, marking his third new teammate since Sergio Perez's departure. The ongoing performance of both drivers will be a live test of Villeneuve's thesis on the value of a technically astute, team-building second driver versus other strategic considerations.