A world Champion and a ‘Smooth Operator’: On this day seven years ago, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz made their F1 debuts

A world Champion and a ‘Smooth Operator’: On this day seven years ago, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz made their F1 debuts

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz are two of the best drivers in the Formula One Grid. Max is known for his aggressive driving and ‘never give up’ attitude while Carlos is known for his composure and consistent driving. But not everyone knows that two debuted on the same day as teammates and started their journey today in 2015!

Carlos Sainz drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the 2015 season where he partnered with Max Verstappen. The two made their F1 debuts on 15th March 2015 during the Australian Grand Prix. Sainz finished the race in 9th position scoring points on his F1 debut. While Verstappen retired on the 34th lap after his Toro Rosso suffered a fire due to a technical issue.

At the age of 17 years, 166 days Verstappen became the youngest driver to race in Formula One before the new licence restriction. Let’s take a look at the journey of the two drivers since their debuts and what lies ahead for them.

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Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz’s journey so far

Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen drove for Toro Rosso in 2015

Max Verstappen was promoted to the Red Bull seat ahead of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix replacing Daniil Kvyat. He clinched his first Formula One Drivers Championship title in 2021. The Dutchman won the title after an epic duel with Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton whom he overtook in the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi to claim his maiden title. The Dutchman has since achieved 20 victories and 13 pole positions.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso until 2017 and later moved to Renault. After two unimpactful spells, he made a switch to McLaren in 2019 where he enjoyed a career revival. He achieved 2 podium finishes and finished 6th on the driver’s standings in 2019 and 2020 and received a call from Ferrari.

Sainz joined Ferrari on a two-year contract from the 2021 season partnering with Charles Leclerc. He achieved 4 podiums and finished the 2021 season fifth in the drivers’ championship, ahead of his teammate Leclerc and former teammate Lando Norris. The Spaniard has been recognised for his consistency and style of driving and is famously known as the “Smooth Operator.”

Verstappen signed a new contract and will stay with Red Bull until 2028. The Dutchman is now the joint-highest earner in the Formula One paddock. Sainz meanwhile has been marked as the new favourite after his performances in the Pre-season testing ahead of the 2022 Formula One Season.

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