Carlos Sainz names two rivals faster than Max Verstappen in one-lap pace

Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, Sainz was asked who he thought was the fastest driver in F1. He said it depends on whether you’re talking about qualifying or the race.

For a single-lap battle, he would take Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris ahead of Verstappen. But over a full race distance, he feels Verstappen is still the best.

Sainz has raced alongside both drivers, giving him a good perspective. F1 broadcaster Martin Brundle has also called the Monegasque driver the best qualifier in F1 before.

Leclerc is just outside the all-time top 10 for poles with 27, while Norris sits further down with 13.

“The fastest in the race or over one lap? Over one lap, Charles. It would be between Charles and Lando. Over the race, Max,” Sainz stated.

When asked about a hypothetical race where all drivers competed in identical cars, his response about who would win was: “It depends on the car we’re driving, because if it’s a Red Bull, it seems clear that the answer would be Max.

“If we had a Mercedes, well I think Russell is driving the Mercedes very well, and it would be very difficult for us to get into a Mercedes and beat Russell. If it were a Williams, I’d tell you the same thing about Albon and I. It’s all about the car.”

Carlos Sainz reflects on his time as teammates with Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Sainz feels that without a series of car issues, he might have come out ahead of Verstappen in 2015. And if that had happened, who knows how things might have played out for him.

But he claims the reality is that Red Bull were fully behind Verstappen from the start, having brought him into F1 at just 17 with the belief that he was destined to be a future star.

As shown in the table above, Sainz was narrowly beaten by Norris during their two seasons together at McLaren, while Leclerc had a clearer edge during their time at Ferrari. Leclerc is currently leading seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton 13-5 this season.