Red Bull's Marko Talks Sainz Amidst Audi's Higher Bid

Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko discusses Carlos Sainz’s future, hinting at challenges in matching Audi F1’s lucrative offer.

Dr. Helmut Marko may have confirmed where Carlos Sainz’s future in Formula 1 truly lies.

The Red Bull advisor was questioned before the Chinese GP about rumors surrounding the Spanish driver. The Austrian confirms discussions with the Ferrari driver but does not seem very enthusiastic about signing him, admitting that Audi F1 has made a substantial offer to secure him.

“We are talking to him, Carlos is having his best season in Formula 1, but he has a very lucrative offer from Audi, and we cannot match or beat it.”

“We remember him from his time at Toro Rosso when he was driving alongside Max. However, it hurt him a lot that at Red Bull, we chose Verstappen and not him.”

“The relationship was very toxic between them. Obviously, water has flowed under the bridge since then.”

“For a long time, Carlos lived in the shadow of his father, a two-time World Rally Champion. He was unfairly tagged as the spoiled son of a race car driver, while in fact, Carlos had to consistently fight to get ahead. It was not his luck to have Max as a teammate.”

“In the setup we had at the time, I did not see a way to keep him with us, and so he moved on to Renault, McLaren, and then Ferrari.”

At present, Sergio Perez is still well-placed to keep his seat according to Marko.

“It is clear that ‘Checo’ is currently having his best season since joining us. If he continues to maintain these performances, especially like in the qualifications in Japan, then he is definitely the best option for Red Bull in 2025. He has the team spirit and now realizes that his radical approach to last year’s settings was not the right one. He now has a setup much more similar to Max’s. He needs to continue like this.”