Sainz to Red Bull? 'Hurt him that we chose Verstappen'

Speaking to the Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko may have revealed where Carlos Sainz's future lies. The top advisor for Red Bull is already looking ahead and sees two potential drivers for Red Bull Racing.

Sergio Perez's seat is highly sought after in Formula 1. Red Bull Racing currently have the best car in Formula 1 and will most likely be very competitive again in 2025. Perez hopes to extend his own contract, which expires at the end of 2024, but there are drivers hunting down that seat.

"It is clear that 'Checo' is currently having his best season since he has been with us. If he can keep up these performances, especially like qualifying in Japan, then he is definitely the best option for Red Bull in 2025. He is a team player and has now realised that his radical approach in terms of setup last year was the wrong one. Now he has a setup much more similar to Max's."

Where will Sainz drive in 2025?

Marko previously discussed the option of moving Yuki Tsunoda or Daniel Ricciardo to Red Bull Racing. However, the Australian seems more concerned about whether he can stay in F1 at all. Carlos Sainz is another name mentioned, but according to Marko, he is not feasible.

"We are talking to him, he is having his best season in Formula 1, but he has a very lucrative offer from Audi and we cannot match or beat that. We remember him from his time at Toro Rosso when he drove alongside Max. However, it hurt him a lot that at Red Bull, we chose Verstappen and not him," Marko added.

Lando Norris has also been mentioned regularly as Max Verstappen's teammate, but the latter recently extended his contract at McLaren. The same goes for his teammate Oscar Piastri. Marko does argue that both McLaren drivers are interesting for Red Bull in the future.