Red Bull is a team whose squad has been under scrutiny for some time. After a good start to the crusade last year, Sergio Perez has struggled to get back into form, suffering a series of eliminations in qualifying and poor results. To start the 2024 season, the Mexican driver rectified this bad trajectory and had some wonderful performances. However, recalling its downward spiral from last season, Red Bull is not rushing to make a decision. The reigning champions are weighing all their options, adding Carlos Sainz.
Max Verstappen’s next F1 teammate is a very important topic of discussion. Not since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018 has anyone seriously challenged the Dutchman on an equivalent machine. That’s part of why Helmut Marko put Ricciardo at AlphaTauri’s headquarters last season. The hope in Milton Keynes was that it might just be an option by 2025.
However, the Australian failed to perform at his best. Instead, it’s Yuki Tsunoda who leads the RB, solving vital issues and outperforming his teammate in 2024 so far. Still, Tsunoda is not yet considered within the team as a viable option to drive for Max Verstappen.
Armed with this information, Red Bull has left out its group of drivers. Another of those being evaluated is Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver continues to perform at the highest level. After holding his own against Charles Leclerc for several years, Sainz has made big marks (adding race wins) in 2024.
In a recent interview, Helmut Marko asked if Carlos Sainz is thinking about next season:
“We reached out to him. He’s having his season in Formula 1,” Marko told the Kleine Zeitung.
“But he has a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t match or surpass, but we’ve known him since the days of Toro Rosso.
“Even back then, I was driving with Max [as his teammate]. But it hurt him the moment we at Red Bull signed Verstappen and he didn’t. “
As briefly pointed out in Marko’s statements, Red Bull never sought to get Carlos Sainz to leave the Austrian team. However, the decision to promote Max Verstappen in 2016 (in the Spaniard’s position) prompted Sainz to explore possibilities elsewhere.
Since then, and especially after Ricciardo’s departure, the team has struggled to find a partner for Verstappen. While Sergio Perez did well in 2021 and 2022, his efforts last season put his long career in doubt. In addition, Red Bull has to take into account the line-ups of rival teams.
With Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc among Ferrari’s line-ups for 2025, the festival will be fierce. This could see Red Bull look for a bolder driver team.
Still, there are many situations that must be met for Sainz to sign for Red Bull. The Austrian team will basically compare Sergio Perez’s performances. If he continues to achieve consistent results, a contract extension is being considered.
Of course, Helmut Marko has also warned that Perez (if he gets a new contract) will only get a one-year contract. The 80-year-old believes Perez could simply “relax” on a multi-year contract. The assessment is accurate or suggests that Red Bull is confident of committing to Perez on a long-term basis.
In this context, Carlos Sainz is a logical choice. The question is whether the Ferrari driver is attracted to the high-value contract presented by Audi. While the German manufacturer is unlikely to be the best team in 2026, its resources make it a project with huge potential.
What’s more, they may be offering the 29-year-old the safety point he will be looking for after wasting his seat at Ferrari.
This article was first published on Last Word On Sports and was distributed with permission.
Other must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, tailored to your favorite sports and teams. Sent by email. Always free!