Carlos Sainz’s Australian GP performance not only impressed the top bosses at Ferrari but also Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. The Spanish driver claimed his first win in 2024 and his third overall. After Sainz’s win, Marko was all praises for him. However, the Austrian made it clear that his praises do not mean that Red Bull have any interest in replacing Sergio Perez with the 29-year-old.
“Of course his (Sainz’s) form is fascinating. It should be noted that Checo (Pérez) delivered three good races this year. The reason why he fell behind in Melbourne was due to the damaged underbody and tire degradation mentioned above. His only weakness is in qualifying. If he can improve there, there is no need to think (about replacing him)“, explained Marko (as quoted by laola1.at).
Sainz is currently looking for a seat elsewhere as he will have to make way for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025. While the Spaniard has multiple teams interested in signing him, Red Bull does not seem to be one of them as the Milton Keynes-based outfit seem to be happy with Perez’s performances.
What a rollercoaster! I am extremely happy! I felt good in the car right from Lap 1 and brought home the first win of the season. The team deserves this one-two. We did a perfect race, nailed strategy and pit-stops. Let’s carry this momentum to Japan!
https://t.co/1p32pZKewE pic.twitter.com/HoSP9p92Lc
— Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) March 24, 2024
Moreover, an F1 expert has also claimed that Perez has already signed a contract extension with Red Bull for 2025. If this is true, the news is unlikely to please either Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda.
Will Max Verstappen partner Sergio Perez in 2025?
Due to the ongoing turmoil at Red Bull owing to the allegations against team principal Christian Horner, several reports claimed that Max Verstappen may leave the team. Such reports emerged after others claimed that the Austrian team may suspend Helmut Marko for his alleged involvement in compromising Horner.
Since Verstappen has a close relationship with Marko, he warned Red Bull that he may leave the team as well if the 80-year-old exited the side. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff hoped to take advantage of the situation by revealing in his recent media interactions that he would be keen to sign Verstappen if the Dutchman left Red Bull.
Wolff, who earlier lost the chance to sign Verstappen during the 26-year-old’s junior racing days, is unwilling to commit the same mistake again. Therefore, Wolff jumped on the bandwagon to show his interest in signing Verstappen as a potential replacement for Hamilton.
“Is Max Verstappen going to join Mercedes next year?”
Toto Wolff gives his thoughts pic.twitter.com/5ZbuGd8iyk
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 22, 2024
However, the Mercedes boss also admitted that the engineers back at Brackley need to improve the team’s cars before they can think of landing the defending champion. While Wolff may be keen to fulfill his desire of signing Verstappen, his hopes may have just been crushed.
The 26-year-old himself revealed in a recent interview that he has no interest in leaving Red Bull. Instead, the three-time champion said that the only time he will drive a car that is not Red Bull is when he retires from F1.
