Carlos Sainz Jr. believes Red Bull’s reaction to his comments that he considers a fourth year at Toro Rosso to be “unlikely” has been blown “out of proportion.”
Sainz Jr. commented on Thursday that it was improbable that he would remain with Toro Rosso into 2018, before being met with a stinging rebuke from his seniors.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner suggested Sainz Jr. had been “disingenuous” with his words, while STR boss Franz Tost echoed similar sentiments.
“First of all it’s not a decision for Carlos Sainz, he has a Red Bull contract, and Red Bull decides what he will do in the future,” said Tost during Friday's press conference in Austria.
“I’m a little bit confused by the discussion at this stage of the year as Red Bull has paid and financed the complete career of Carlos Sainz.
“Why [should] Red Bull give him away to any other opponents…sometimes loyalty in F1 should play an important game.”
Sainz Jr. admitted surprise at the reaction, and reiterated his commitment to Red Bull.
“Everything has probably been thrown a bit out of proportion,” said the Spaniard, following the conclusion of Friday's practice sessions.
“What I said yesterday is nothing strange I believe, as an ambitious driver, as a human.
“It is very clear my first goal in life is to become a Red Bull driver and start fighting for podiums with them.
“Again, I owe them everything, I owe Toro Rosso and all the people there everything I know in Formula 1 at the moment but I have ambitions and my ambition is to be a Red Bull driver one day.”
Sainz Jr. nonetheless still maintains an unprecedented fourth campaign with Toro Rosso would represent a “strange” situation.
“What I said is a fact, in 12 years in Toro Rosso no-one has been [there for] a fourth year,” he said.
“For me to be [there for] a fourth year I would be the first one in history.
“It would be a strange situation as normally it’s a junior team where you want to develop drivers and put someone [higher] up [on the grid] and it would be strange, no?
“Maybe the word ‘unlikely’ can be interpreted in different ways, but it would be a strange situation to be a fourth year in Toro Rosso.”
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