Sainz reveals: 'With Norris and Alonso, I leave a bit more space'

It is always said that there are no friendships on the track. Yet at least off the track, several drivers seem to get along well. This is again evident in an interview of Carlos Sainz with the Spanish bank Santander.

Friendships on the grid can develop in different ways. They can arise because they know each other from the past, for example, or because they are, or have been, teammates. An example of this is Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. The two seem to get along well and are even called Carlando together by fans. After Sainz's victory in Singapore, with Norris finishing second, the friendship is easy to see.

Another way a friendship can develop is a shared similarity, such as a homeland. How drivers interact with each other just varies quite a bit from country to country. Between Gasly and Ocon, there seems to be a fierce fight, and between Alonso and Sainz, there is an extra form of respect.

Do these friendships make for a different way of racing?

Sainz reveals that he leaves extra space on the track for his friend, Norris. Incidentally, this would only be about half an inch extra. Yet the likelihood of hitting each other remains as high, even with that half-centimetre extra. Sainz has already had contact on track with both Norris and Alonso before. Avoiding contact while racing is insurmountable at times, according to the Spaniard.