Helmut Marko has speculated that Carlos Sainz is unlikely to sign with Red Bull given that the Spaniard appears to have made up his mind regarding his future before the team decides whether or not to offer him a seat.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has dismissed links to two drivers as Sergio Perez prepares for what is expected to be the fourth and last season of his contract with the reigning Constructors’ champions, and is yet to be offered an extension.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz is set to leave Ferrari at the conclusion of the 2024 season with Lewis Hamilton joining the Italian team to partner Charles Leclerc. This means that the 29-year-old will need to look for another spot on the grid resulting in a lot of speculation on several suitors interested in reeling him in.
Sainz, who started his Formula 1 career with Toro Rosso after joining Red Bull’s junior program, has been linked to a potential comeback to take Perez’s seat.
However, seasoned director Marko, who oversaw Red Bull’s driver development program, told Kleine Zeitung that the team won’t be prepared to decide the Mexican’s future until “after the summer break,” at which point he thinks Sainz could possibly have moved on.
“Sainz probably wants to make a decision sooner than we do,” he told Motorsport-Total.
Sainz had a solid 2023 Formula 1 season finishing seventh overall in the drivers’ standings, and was the only driver not affiliated with Red Bull to win a race in 2023 after his Singapore victory.
Recently, Carlos Sainz spoke candidly about his plans to stay in Formula One after leaving Ferrari in 2025. The Spaniard acknowledged he hasn’t made up his mind on which team to join and claimed that before making a choice, he is taking his time to consider all options.
“The situation now is completely different, I am basically a free agent for ‘25 and I have no idea yet where I am going to be racing with,” he said. “As I said before, I have to take my time to decide, see all the options that are available.”
On the other hand, Alex Albon, who drove with Verstappen in 2019 and 2020, has also been linked with a possible return. However, Marko dismissed the British driver as well, pointing to his situation at Williams.
“Albon is not an issue for us, he has a contract until 2025,” said the 80-year-old.
