Credits: IMAGO / Beautiful Sports
There’s been a lot of turbulence around Red Bull‘s driver lineup, especially since the start of the 2024 season. On one hand, Sergio Perez is serving his final year of contract with Red Bull. While on the other hand, Max Verstappen has been subject to Mercedes links with Toto Wolff approaching the Dutchman aggressively. Amid these speculations, Ralf Schumacher has advised the team to ascertain their driver lineup and not wait for the market to evolve.
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“We are now in an important phase, partly because Carlos Sainz is on the market. It has to happen now. Perez may have to give up his seat. Fernando Alonso is also still on the market. Red Bull really has to make a decision now.” – said Schumacher, as quoted by F1 Maximaal.
Amid a variety of drivers available to choose from, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso are the primary standouts. Perez is on the verge of departing from the team, and at one stage, Daniel Ricciardo was the prime contender to replace him.
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However, a dismal start to life in the 2024 season has sent him out of the running for now. Given the same, Alonso and Sainz are the two biggest and most experienced names that Red Bull could choose from.
Alonso is a two-time world champion and stands as the most experienced driver on the grid. With a personality similar to that of Verstappen, the Spanish driver could make the perfect partner for Verstappen in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Sainz is the only driver to defeat Red Bull in 2023 and 2024 (so far). Hence, the Milton Keynes-based outfit might also want to bring him on board.
Could Carlos Sainz be what Red Bull is looking for?
Sainz currently stands as the most desirable driver on the current grid, apart from Max Verstappen. He beat Red Bull to win the race on two occasions, with one win coming in 2023 and the other in 2024. The first win came at the 2023 Singapore GP, as the Red Bull drivers failed to make it to the podium.
At the 2024 Australian GP, Sainz once again won the race, with Sergio Perez finishing P5 after a Verstappen DNF. Despite his achievements, the Spaniard is out of a contract in 2025, owing to Lewis Hamilton taking his place in Ferrari.
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Thus, Sainz, too, is actively looking for an open seat. He is heavily linked with a move to Audi (currently Sauber), thanks to his father’s link with the team. However, the team won’t enter the grid until 2026, meaning Sainz will have to wait for at least a year before he can drive for Audi.
Moreover, the team will be heavily inexperienced in F1, and some experts believe a switch to Audi could be career suicide by the 29-year-old. Mercedes could also enter the foray and complete the perfect swap. While the likelihood of this happening remains little for now, the Silver Arrows could well keep Sainz’s name in their back pocket, should the need be.
