Sainz says comments blown out of proportion

Sainz had an offer from the works Renault team for this season but Red Bull took up its option to keep him.

The Spaniard has consistently said he wants to step up to the senior team, but Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have contracts for next year.

Sainz's comments led to Red Bull boss Christian Horner, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko and Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost all questioning his loyalty.

In response to the furore, Sainz stood by his comments, insisting that he was grateful to Red Bull but reiterated he had ambitions beyond staying at Toro Rosso.

"Everything probably has been thrown a bit out of proportion," he said. "What I said yesterday is nothing strange, I believe.

"As a driver, as an ambitious driver, as a human, it's 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 the people there everything I know in Formula 1 at the moment, but I have ambitions. My ambition is to be a Red Bull driver one day and hopefully sooner rather than later.

"What I said is a fact, in 12 years of Toro Rosso, no one has been a fourth year. For me to be a fourth year, I'll be the first one in history.

"It would be a strange situation, usually it's a junior team where you want to develop drivers and to put someone up and it would be strange."

When asked directly about Tost, Horner and Marko's comments, Sainz said: "I'm not stupid, I see what happens, how everything developed.

"I was a bit surprised if you can put it that way. It's something that sometimes in F1 that happens. I will learn from this and from now onwards, it will stay a bit more internal."

Motorsport.com understands Red Bull took up the option to keep Sainz in the Red Bull family for 2018 last week.

When asked if it was 100% clear he will be driving in one of the Red Bull teams next year, Sainz said: "By the looks of it, it looks like they keep trusting in me, which is great news for me.

"It looks like my bosses are happy with my performance, so by the looks of it, at the moment, yes. 2017 is a very long year ahead, things could change."

It is believed Sainz has had discussions with other F1 teams regarding a move beyond this season though he would not comment on whether there had been any offers made.

"I cannot talk about that and I will not talk about that because then a big story will come up," he said.