Dr Helmut Marko has said he has no regrets letting Carlos Sainz leave Red Bull as he is “no Max Verstappen“.

Having long been a part of Red Bull’s young driver programme, Sainz spent the best part of three years at junior team Toro Rosso before joining Renault on an initial loan deal.

But, as Sainz patiently waited for a chance to join the Red Bull senior team, that opportunity never came his way and he instead continued on as a driver for Renault.

Off the back of an excellent season with new team McLaren and Red Bull’s own struggles with a second driver following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure, there was a suggestion that Red Bull may have just regretted letting Sainz go in the first place.