Carlos Sainz is on the hunt for a fresh Formula 1 opportunity come 2025, and his stellar performances at the season’s commencement have stirred up rumors tying him to Red Bull.
Helmut Marko has described Carlos Sainz’s recent form as “fascinating” as the Ferrari racer remains in contention for a 2025 spot at Red Bull.
Incumbent Sergio Perez’s contract expires at season’s end, with contenders such as Red Bull duo Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda eyeing a chance to partner with Max Verstappen in the upcoming term.
Sainz’s name has entered the conversation following his impressive drive to third place in Bahrain, followed by a commanding victory in Australia, despite missing the Saudi Arabian GP due to an appendectomy merely two weeks prior.
Having claimed victory in three Grand Prix events, Sainz is parting ways with Ferrari to accommodate Lewis Hamilton. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, hinted at Sainz being a potential candidate following his triumph in Melbourne.
Helmut Marko, serving as a motorsport advisor, wields significant influence over driver line-ups. In his evaluation of former Red Bull junior driver Sainz, he suggested that Perez could retain his seat if he addresses a particular area of concern.
“Of course his form is fascinating,” Marko said about Sainz.
“Checo has had three good races this year. In Melbourne, he fell behind, thanks to a damaged floor and tyre wear, and his only weakness is qualifying.
“If he improves on that, we won’t have to think about anything [in regards to making a change for 2025 to the driver line-up.”
Regarding the competition between Ricciardo and Tsunoda at RB, Marko expressed bewilderment at the former’s underwhelming performance in the initial races.
“We are puzzled over that, he is generally slower than Yuki,” he commented on Ricciardo.
“Something is not working for him, which is surprising, because during winter testing he was doing just fine.”
“The question at the moment is: ‘Has Yuki become a high-flyer or is Daniel so weak?’ After three races, on three completely different circuits, there is no objective answer to that yet.”
