Carlos Sainz has said he still does not understand why Red Bull did not sign him as Max Verstappen's teammate for this season.
Sainz went into 2024 knowing he would be replaced at Ferrari this year by Lewis Hamilton.
Red Bull were in talks with Sainz as it contemplated what to do with the struggling Sergio Pérez, who was eventually replaced by Liam Lawson.
Lawson lasted just two races before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who had also struggled in the second seat.
At the time, reports suggested Red Bull were concerned about lingering acrimony between the Sainz and Verstappen camps from their rookie season at the company's junior team in 2015.
"The only thing I can say is I genuinely get on well with Max," Sainz told the High Performance podcast. "This is what people don't see from the outside.
"Like, we had a rivalry on our first year in Formula 1 in Toro Rosso, but it was a relatively healthy rivalry in terms of him and me, the way we used to go about racing. And now we get on really well.
"So, if that's the reason I don't understand why they wouldn't want me next to Max, because I think we would actually be a very strong pairing in Formula 1."
Sources involved in the decision-making process last year told ESPN the bigger concern internally was the atmosphere that would exist between the fathers, Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr.
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Williams ended up signing the Spanish driver, who still feels he could have handled himself better than Perez, Lawson and Tsunoda have managed alongside Verstappen.
"I've been team-mates with Charles [Leclerc], with Lando [Norris], with Nico Hülkenberg, very quick guys, and probably the best in the sport," Sainz said.
"Now Alex [Albon] is incredibly fast also, and it just makes me want to be up against the best still. I know I can take it, and I know I've been successful in the past.
"I think everyone's having a really tough time being Max's team-mate. I can only say that when I was Max's team-mate, I didn't have this tough time.
"I was obviously incredibly surprised with how quick he was, with how he's an insane driver. I mean, he's going to go out to be one of the best ever in history, if he's not already one. But that first year together, since then, has given me the confidence to know I can be up against anyone."