“Next Year Is Your Last Chance”: Carlos Sainz Reveals Red Bull Once Gave Him an Ultimatum That Could Have Ended His Career

In recent years, Carlos Sainz has developed into a consistently dependable driver. His stints with McLaren and Ferrari have propelled him to a status where he is regarded as one of the best.

But there was a time in the four-time Grand Prix winner’s junior career when Red Bull gave him a strict ultimatum.

In a feature with Rolling Stone, the former Red Bull junior driver recollected a conversation with the team when he was competing in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 series season.

“I remember I was starting to get close to Formula 1.

“Red Bull told me that now, next year is your last chance. You go into Formula 2. You either win or there’s no space for you in Formula 1,” Sainz revealed.

Sainz was told that if he did not win the competition that season, he would be out of the junior academy. Lo and behold, he won the Formula Renault 3.5 series that year ahead of Pierre Gasly by 35 points. In 2015, he made his debut in F1 for the Bulls’ sister team, Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls).

10 years ago today, Carlos Sainz won the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series

With 7 wins and 227 points scored, he became the first Red Bull junior to win the championship, beating Pierre Gasly and Roberto Merhi to the title. pic.twitter.com/a9wvNj9FZ8

— yoyo (@williamssainz) October 18, 2024

Looking back at that moment, Sainz credited his father for making him switch his mentality into a winner’s one. Sainz Sr. was already a two-time WRC champion and transferred his knowledge to his son.

“I was lucky to have my dad. But if I wouldn’t have had that switch, and I wouldn’t have had my dad there to help me, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” he concluded.

11 years on from his debut, Sainz finds himself leading an ambitious project at Williams, under the stewardship of James Vowles — to bring the iconic British team back to the very top of the sport.

Sainz expects Williams to be world champions with him

After being let go by Ferrari, at the end of last season for Lewis Hamilton, Sainz decided to place his faith in Williams. Despite the team finishing ninth in the standings in 2024, the 30-year-old is confident that he can turn around the fortunes of the team.

Sainz relied on his experiences with McLaren, whom he helped shape into a title contender during his time with them in 2019 and 2020. The Woking-based team won their first Constructors’ title since 1998, last year — ironically being chased by Sainz in a Ferrari.

Team principal, James Vowles has led a revolution at the Grove-based team since taking over the reins. The former Mercedes man has focused on transforming the team’s fortunes by bringing in new investment, and a change in technology to improve them.

Speaking about his own championship ambitions, that align with Sainz’s, he said, “Everyone is aligned, that includes Carlos and Alex [Albon, Sainz’s teammate], that we want to be winning championships,” during the FW47 launch, last month.