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Carlos Sainz Jr expects a much better relationship with 2019 McLaren Formula 1 team-mate Lando Norris than he had with other young drivers when at Toro Rosso.
Sainz had tense times with both Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat during his first F1 seasons at Red Bull’s junior team.
In 2015, Sainz and Verstappen were well aware that whoever came out on top at Toro Rosso was likely to get promotion to the Red Bull team.
While there was very little to separate the pair in pace terms, it was Verstappen who got to move up and took a maiden win on his first outing for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Sainz was eventually loaned out to Renault, joining alongside Nico Hulkenberg for the final races of 2017, and will now be moving to McLaren as Norris’s team-mate next year.
Asked if he expected the pair to get on well, Sainz said: “Compared to Toro Rosso, for sure. I’m expecting to have a very similar situation as with Nico at Renault.
“Obviously Nico was [at Renault] for a year before me, and arriving to McLaren, me probably with a lot more experience and with Lando in the same year, we are both starting from scratch. That will allow us to start fresh, both drivers, in the same way.
“Obviously I will take the chance with the experience I have to lead the team at the beginning of the year, especially when Lando starts to get a bit of experience, but it’s definitely going to be a fresh start for McLaren.”
Sainz underlined that he had got on well with Hulkenberg during their time together at Renault.
“I’ve had a very good relationship with Nico,” he said.
“We both played it really fair on track, we both pulled the team forward and the fact we are so close in every qualifying has helped the team to score many points on Sunday.
“Hopefully it will be the same at McLaren and we will have some fun.”