Red Bull turned down the opportunity to re-sign Carlos Sainz for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Sainz is a product of their driver academy, having made his debut at Toro Rosso a decade ago.
The Spaniard was on the market after Ferrari elected not to renew his contract. The signing of Lewis Hamilton cost him his drive.
But just like Mercedes, who promoted teenage reserve driver Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull overlooked Sainz. While the 30-year-old has won multiple Grands Prix and pushed Charles Leclerc hard, both teams preferred internal solutions.
After initially extending Sergio Perez’s contract, Red Bull felt compelled to perform a u-turn. Perez deteriorated after the early rounds, prompting the team to negotiate an early exit.
It was mid-December by the time the situation was resolved. Sainz had committed to Williams back in August, but Red Bull were always inclined to choose between Racing Bulls pair Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson.
Even though he only has 11 races of F1 experience, Lawson received the call-up. Red Bull will hope to win back the constructors’ championship this year after falling to third in 2024, but McLaren and Ferrari arguably boast stronger pairings.
Carlos Sainz hints Red Bull should have signed ‘two top drivers’ for 2025
Speaking to SoyMotor, Sainz appeared to fire an implicit dig at Red Bull. He suggests that the model of ‘two top drivers’, as embraced by Ferrari, McLaren and most recently Williams, is best.
Lawson may earn that label this year, but can’t be considered one of the elite at this stage. He’ll arrive at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix with six points to his name.
Max Verstappen will clearly be the number one at Red Bull this year, as has been the case ever since Daniel Ricciardo left. Christian Horner views the Dutchman as an all-time great, which justifies his preferential treatment.
But Sainz says that teams need drivers who ‘push each other’, rather than an obvious hierarchy. He beat Verstappen in qualifying during their rookie campaigns, but lost out on a Sunday.
“Lando and I, Charles and I or Alex and I – two top drivers,” Sainz said. “If I were a team boss in the future, that’s what I would look for. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want two drivers who push each other and lead together.”
What Carlos Sainz said to Red Bull after they refused to bring him back for 2025
Sainz says Red Bull did him a favour by turning him down. Their swift answer allowed him to look elsewhere, rather than waiting all year and risking an enforced absence.
There was acrimony between Carlos Sainz Sr and Jos Verstappen at Toro Rosso, and Red Bull were wary of a repeat. Thus they didn’t make their decision solely for sporting reasons.
Sainz told Red Bull they were wrong to have concerns about his relationship with Verstappen. Both drivers will naturally be more mature than they were when they started.
Red Bull did try to sign Lando Norris, but he renewed his commitment to McLaren instead. With Verstappen’s long-term future uncertain, there could be an opening for Sainz further down the line.
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