Red Bull boss Christian Horner has shared an update on rumors about Carlos Sainz possibly replacing Sergio Perez at the team and said the Spaniard is not in contention for a seat with the team. There has been a lot of chatter when it comes to the Mexican and his future within the team.
The driver's performances have not been up to the mark and have opened the door for others. Those other drivers include the likes of Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto, who have been in the news lately.
Red Bull boss Horner did create a bit of buzz during the race weekend in Brazil when he visited the Williams motorhome. He had a meeting with the team principal, James Vowles during the weekend, and at the time it was rumored that the conversation was for a possible signing of Colapinto.
Soon after, there were reports of Sainz being the one who was possibly in the running for that Red Bull seat.
As quoted by Racingnews365, Horner has declined any such suggestions and clarified that Red Bull is not looking at Sainz as a possible candidate. He said:
"Look, there's always plenty of speculation in the Formula 1 paddock. And, you know, Carlos Sainz is going to be a Williams driver next year. He's a great driver, he had a big win in Mexico recently, and I think he'll be very good for that team."
He added:
"Carlos is committed to Williams, and he wouldn't form part of our plans for next year."
Carlos Sainz acknowledged that Red Bull rejection hurt him
Carlos Sainz faced multiple setbacks this season when it came to the teams choosing other drivers over him. The Spaniard was first overlooked by Ferrari when it went with Lewis Hamilton. Then he was in contention for a seat at both Mercedes and Red Bull, but neither of the teams gave him the nod, and that finally led him to sign with Williams.
Talking to Sky Sports F1, Sainz acknowledged that the rejection from both teams did hurt him. He said:
"I’ve definitely come to peace, and I am a true believer that if I’m not going there, it’s because life just doesn’t want me to be there – there’s something else coming after that, that will actually turn out to be good. It hurt at the time, we all have egos, and I have a driver ego, and I couldn’t understand it at the time."
He added:
“I still personally cannot understand certain choices that people have done, but at the same time, it creates even more of a challenge in me, and it even makes me more excited for Williams. Williams is the one that has invested in me, that have backed me up from the beginning, the ones that came to me a full year ago, and that actually makes me super excited."
With the Spaniard out of reckoning from a seat at Red Bull, it will be interesting to see who are the candidates that are lined up to replace Sergio Perez if the team does take a call on that front.