Follow usRed Bull Formula 1 team advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed discussions with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz but emphasized that their current driver Sergio Perez remains their top choice.
Sainz is set to depart Ferrari at the end of the season, following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes. The Spaniard has a history with Red Bull, having previously driven for Toro Rosso alongside Max Verstappen. Verstappen, who currently leads Red Bull with three consecutive Formula 1 titles, has been the only non-Red Bull driver to secure a race win since the beginning of the 2023 season, clinching victories in Singapore last year and Australia this year, along with podium finishes in all three races this season.
“We are in talks with him, as he’s having his strongest Formula 1 season,” Marko disclosed to the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
“However, there’s a very enticing offer from Audi that we cannot match or surpass. We all remember his time at Toro Rosso. Even back then, he was competing against Max. However, he was deeply affected by the fact that we supported Verstappen at Red Bull, not him,” Marko added.
Marko referred to Audi, the German automaker set to enter Formula 1 in 2026 by acquiring the Sauber team. The contracts of Sauber’s current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, expire at the end of the year.
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