Pushing Carlos Sainz aside, Red Bull has opted for the safer route by renewing Sergio Perez’s contract. This 2-year extension means Perez will continue with the Milton Keynes outfit into the first year of the 2026 regulations. While fans and experts were strongly rooting for Sainz’s reunion with Max Verstappen, a former F1 driver believes that Christian Horner has made the smartest move possible.

If Sergio Perez‘s poor outings in the last two races are any indication, Red Bull’s constructors’ championship is under threat. Contrastingly, Carlos Sainz has matured as a racer and is in the best form of his life. Horner could’ve very well sealed their championship victories for the coming years if both Verstappen and the Spaniard raced like apex predators. But history, be it Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton’s intra-team enmity, or Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, says otherwise.

“The arrival of Sainz would never work,” Giedo Van de Garde said on the Dutch DRS podcast, as quoted by F1maxmaal. “Then you get cocky behavior between him and Verstappen within the team. That just doesn’t work. Now you have Max Verstappen as the first driver, who is the best. The second is Pérez. Because of that hierarchy, it is now quiet at Red Bull,” he added.

The Mexican racer’s signing ensures stability within the team and also capitalizes on his popularity and sponsor-attracting power. But this will now force Sainz to settle for a midfield team or even a backmarker.

Carlos Sainz was “holding out” for a 2025 Red Bull seat

Ferrari and McLaren have closed in on Red Bull this year, but the RB20 is still a class apart on traditional F1 circuits. This was Carlos Sainz’s best bet, but Christian Horner’s offer was “stingy”. Still, the Ferrari driver gave them top priority over Mercedes, Audi, and others. But Red Bull didn’t return the favor. Their interest was not whole and discussions were scattered.

“He (Sainz) had been holding out for this seat,” F1 presenter Craig Slater told Sky Sports. “My understanding from his representatives was it had been hot and cold, hot and cold over the last few months. Red Bull seemed interested, then they were a bit more detached again.”

Of the remaining options, Sainz has been funneled towards Williams. Unless he changes his mind about Audi’s “lucrative” 3-year deal, Alex Albon is set to have a 3-time Grand Prix winner alongside him next year. What’s your take on Sainz’s conflict? Share your thoughts in the comments below.