Formula 1 team boss Christian Horner from Red Bull has not dismissed the idea of Carlos Sainz potentially returning to the team in 2025 after his victory at the Australian Grand Prix. Sainz, who is currently recovering from surgery, took advantage of Max Verstappen’s retirement due to a brake issue to dominate the race and secure a 1-2 finish for Ferrari. This win marks Sainz’s second victory in the past 25 races, with his previous triumph occurring in Singapore last September. Despite his success, Sainz does not have a confirmed drive for next season as Ferrari has already signed Lewis Hamilton to partner with Charles Leclerc. With Sergio Perez’s contract ending, there is an available seat alongside Verstappen at Red Bull for 2025. When asked about the possibility of signing Sainz, Horner stated that based on his performance, no option should be ruled out, but they will take their time to make a decision. He also mentioned that Perez’s performance has been strong this season, so there is no urgent need to make a decision.
Horner also clarified that the current champions “desire the top pairing that we can have in Red Bull Racing”, mentioning “sometimes you have to explore outside the talent pool as well”.
That could involve a swoop for Sainz, who entered Formula 1 in 2015 through the Red Bull program and competed for its junior team until leaving in late 2017.
Sainz grew frustrated with the limited opportunities to progress to the main team, spending time at Renault and McLaren before joining Ferrari in 2021.
After showcasing his abilities to potential suitors last weekend, Sainz expressed confidence that his recent performances would not harm his future career prospects.
When asked if his victory had improved his chances of securing a competitive drive, Sainz replied: “I cannot say for certain. It certainly doesn’t hurt. And that is absolutely true.
“But yes, I still don’t have a job for next year. So I believe this will be a significant boost. I think most people have a general idea of what I am capable of. I race for myself.
“I race to continually prove to myself that I can win whenever I have a competitive car. And whenever there’s an opportunity to win in a race weekend, I don’t race to demonstrate my worth to team principals or other individuals. I race to prove to myself that if I am given a car, I can deliver and be at the top, you know.
“And that’s the mindset and approach I have. And I will maintain it for the remainder of the year,” he concluded.
Despite reaffirming earlier this month that Perez is in the prime position to retain his seat, Horner did hint that the “market is fluid with certain drivers”.
In addition to Red Bull, Sainz has been linked to potentially replacing Hamilton at Mercedes and joining the Sauber team, which will become an Audi works team in 2026.