Did Red Bull Racing miss a golden chance by not signing Carlos Sainz?

Sainz was once a Red Bull Junior driver. He got his start at Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls). Unfortunately, he was dropped and had to find another team. Which is the same thing that happened to him during the 2024 season.

The former Ferrari driver was replaced by Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season, which led him to sign with Williams. However, Red Bull Racing could have found a solution to their second-seat issue with Sainz.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Sainz detailed how he adjusts to his new teams.

Firstly, he admits how hard it is. “You understand why it's so hard, because I've had to suffer through changing teams five times, and it's something that was practically unspoken about before, the adaptation process.”

Sainz then moves on the address what the goal should be in the team.

Sainz has driven for Toro Rosso, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, and is currently at Williams. His ability to adjust to new teams and cars could have potentially solved Red Bull’s issues.

While it is not known for sure why he was not signed, one reason could be the issues the Sainz and Verstappen families had.

Max Verstappen also likes his cars to have a sharp front end, which is something Sainz admits is not his favourite to drive.

Nevertheless, he said, “I've never driven a car as sharp from the front as the 2022 Ferrari, and I ended up driving it, taking pole positions, and finishing the year super strong.“

With Sainz’s ability and experience in adapting to new teams and different cars, could he have solved Red Bull’s issues? Or would it have been more trouble than it’s worth?

Let us know in the comments below what you think!