From several standout performances to furore over his future and a very public clash with his team mate, Carlos Sainz has been in the thick of the action this year. And through it all, his star has continued to rise. As we reach F1's traditional summer break, we sat down with the 22-year-old Spaniard for an exclusive version of how 2017 has played out so far... Q: Carlos, you've prompted a few headlines this season after some public comments on your situation at Toro Rosso - Helmut Marko even replied, and that is always dangerous. Has that been a calculated risk from your side? Carlos Sainz: Ha, was it calculated risk from my side! I have my opinion and I said it in that very moment. Maybe I could have used a different wording to put it. It is not something that I enjoyed, seeing Helmut Marko and Christian Horner going against me, but it sometimes happens in a Formula One career. But it should be over – so turn the page! Q: Is it over? CS: Well, I think so.

"My one and only target is to be a Red Bull driver in the future..." - Sainz on his ambitions for 2018 and beyond

Q: You must have a plan B – or more than a plan B: you must have your own plan A. Can you share that with us? CS: Yes, I do have a plan A. To arrive at a race and do the best job possible. That is always my plan A. Q: Everybody who observed your Helmut Marko situation thought: gee, he must have guts - or a smart idea of where else to go… CS: Well, I can understand that point, yes. But from my side there is nothing else than sheer ambition. And sometimes in the heat of ambition you say things. But that is me! I do have targets and objectives. Q: You are the one bringing the points to the team. Do you think it is time to get a real reward – one that translates into a competitive cockpit? CS: Well, it is my one and only target to be a Red Bull driver in the future. That is what I want – and that is what I have said a hundred times before. And if one answer said in the heat of the moment is spinning out of control – that is just 'modern times'!

"Time is a great healer - we are both mature enough to be able to turn the page" - Sainz on his relationship with Kvyat after their crash in Silverstone

Q: Fans love team mate rivalries – and right now you and Daniil Kvyat give a good show. But the team very likely sees it differently - what is the state of affairs there behind closed doors? CS: The team is doing its job by telling the two of us that they are not happy about it - and trying to make sure that it does not happen again. It is a situation that can happen once in a lifetime. It happened in Silverstone – and I hope that was my 'one time'. Q: How do you look back on Silverstone then? Being out on lap one after contact with your team mate is not exactly a highlight... CS: It started already with issues in qualifying so I wanted to put everything into the race. So retiring on lap one from something out of your control is sure not how you want to end a race weekend!

"[I didn't enjoy seeing] Helmut Marko and Christian Horner going against me - but it sometimes happens in Formula One" - Carlos Sainz