“He’s Been the Best Driver So Far”: Ex-F1 Driver Hails Carlos Sainz Superior to Max Verstappen in 2024

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Carlos Sainz romped to a dominant win at the 2024 Australian GP, just days after his appendicitis surgery. Now, in the aftermath of his recent run of form in 2024, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has hailed him as the best driver of this season so far. Palmer has placed the Spaniard even above three-time world champion Max Verstappen.

On the BBC’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast, hosts Jennie Gow, Palmer, and Andrew Benson discussed about the #55 driver’s performances this year. Palmer then asked the panel, “Is he [Sainz] the best driver so far”. The former Renault driver said that for him Sainz has been the best.

During the season-opening Bahrain GP, Sainz took the chequered flag to give Ferrari their first podium of the new season. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished behind him in fourth.

Sainz then had to miss the Saudi Arabian GP, owing to his appendicitis diagnosis. However, he came back with a sensational win at the Australian GP. His win at Melbourne Park has skyrocketed his demand in the driver’s market.

While Benson disagreed with Palmer’s conclusion of placing Sainz above Verstappen, the former Renault driver defended the #55 driver by labeling him as the driver “making the difference” currently. Sainz is indeed one of the most sought-after drivers on the grid as of now. Now, it will be interesting to see who signs him for 2025 and beyond.

Who is Carlos Sainz going to drive for in 2025?

Carlos Sainz will make way for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next year. Since the 29-year-old’s future is uncertain, he naturally will be eager to secure himself a seat at a top team for 2025 and beyond.

As things stand, there are rumors of three teams having an interest in signing the Spaniard. They include Sauber, Red Bull, and Mercedes.

Sauber, who are set to be reborn as Audi in 2026, were linked to Sainz strongly in the past. While Sainz too would like the opportunity to become a team leader of a project that may reap benefits in the future, he may not want to slip back into the midfield after three solid years in the front of the pack with Ferrari.

After his win in Australia two weekends ago, Sainz has reportedly become a prime candidate for that second Red Bull seat in 2025. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has all but confirmed the same.

Meanwhile, with Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes, Sainz could potentially also sign for the Silver Arrows with him rumored to have got the attention of team principal Toto Wolff. But Sainz’s move to either Red Bull or Mercedes is contingent on the future of two drivers – Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.

If Verstappen does make the move to Mercedes, Sainz could slot into Red Bull. But if Alonso sets his sights on Mercedes and Verstappen elects to stay with Red Bull, then Andrew Benson believes that the teams would not want to choose Sainz over the two world champions.