Sainz says no problems with "bad boy" Verstappen

Verstappen refused to let Sainz through during the final laps of the race despite the team asking him to do it at least twice on the radio.

In the end, Verstappen finished in front of the Spaniard.

Sainz says his approach will not change in the future, insisting he will continue to obey the team's orders.

"Everything is okay. It has all been discussed, it has all been clarified," said Sainz on Thursday at Suzuka.

"I think both have no problem with anyone, and I think it was more the team and Max who had to clarify things between them.

"It has been done as far as I know, and everything should be normal here."

He added: "My approach will not change. I now know more what Max is about.

"He like to plays a bit more maybe the bad boy role, and I kind of knew it, but he has now demonstrated this. But it will not change.

"I'll keep trusting them and if they call something I will trust them."

Verstappen was asked to let Sainz through in order for the Spaniard to have a shot at passing Force India's Sergio Perez for seventh.

Had Sainz failed, he was expected to let Verstappen regain his position, something the Spaniard says he would have done.

"He didn't trust that I was going to let him by at the end of the race," Sainz added. "And if you are not completely sure you don't do it.

"But we had this discussing in Monaco and he should know. I would have done it."

Team player

Sainz reckons that his chances of having a better future in Formula 1 rely on him showing that he is a team player.

"You always have to show a bit of selfishness if you really are a champion, but in my own opinion I think the best thing you can do is to listen to the team," he said.

"I'm a team player and I think I've showed it from the beginning.

"Every time the team asked me to do something I told them yes. At the end of the end I rely on these guys, on Red Bull, on Toro Rosso, and my future relies on them.

"So if I turn my back on them I know that I'm not going to go anywhere.

"I think I've behaved, but when I need to be selfish I will be, but so far I've never had the opportunity to show it because I've trusted them and every time they've called for a swap I've done it."

He said he has swapped positions with Verstappen three times this year following a team request.

"In Malaysia, on the last stint when Max overtook me, it was not an overtake, I let him by. And everybody was 'Ohh, what a great move'. I let him by.

"Then in Monaco I moved out too.

"There was another one that I don't remember now, but there was one more."