Marko: Carlos Sainz a driver 'you have to take into account'

Carlos Sainz is an option Red Bull is evaluating for 2025 – as they observe if Sergio Perez can sustain his strong form.

At roughly this stage last season, Sergio Perez was performing at a very high level for Red Bull. With two race victories in the first four rounds, the Mexican driver was performing well in the RB19. However, it did not take long for his season to unravel as Max Verstappen began an unprecedented winning run. With top talents like Carlos Sainz available in the market, Perez cannot afford to repeat last year’s slump.

To be clear, the 34-year-old is currently driving well. Aside from a blip at the Australian GP – partly due to sustaining floor damage – Perez has featured on the podium every Grand Prix in 2024. So far, this is keeping the hierarchy at Red Bull happy with his efforts.

The test will be to sustain this form, a task that a resurgent Ferrari will complicate. Unlike last season, the reigning Champions do not have a massive gap to their closest challengers. The SF-24 is a competitive machine in the hands of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, a highly capable duo.

Speaking of the Sainz, the Spaniard is currently delivering results week after week. He claimed a third podium of the season in Japan to complement his P3 in Bahrain and race victory in Australia.

Sainz on the Red Bull radar

In the context of this form, the Ferrari driver is a very valuable asset in the market. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko made no secret of this after the Japanese GP:

“Sainz is currently in incredible form. Sainz came into Formula 1 through Red Bull, and also had a very good year at Toro Rosso. 

“Sainz is certainly a name that you have to take into account,” the 80-year-old told Sky Germany.

Indeed, Marko has admitted previously that Red Bull never wanted the Spanish driver to leave their driver pool in 2017. However, somewhat ironically, Verstappen’s promotion incentivised Sainz to explore options elsewhere.

Several drivers under consideration

The Austrian team remains hesitant about giving Yuki Tsunoda an opportunity. Despite his strong performances over the last eighteen months, Red Bull has been open about evaluating drivers outside its driver pool.

In this context, Carlos Sainz is well-positioned to establish himself as a front-running candidate. That said, Sergio Perez is equally capable of proving to Red Bull that change is not necessary. After all, he is currently doing more than enough to reinforce his Dutch teammate’s efforts.

As outlined previously, the team based in Milton Keynes will not make a decision before the summer. Until then, several players across the field will work to prove themselves.