F1 pundit opines why Red Bull has offered less money to Carlos Sainz

Former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg claimed that Red Bull's decision to offer less money to Carlos Sainz may be their way of closing the door and sending him to Mercedes.

The Ferrari driver will leave the Italian team at the end of the 2024 season with Lewis Hamilton joining the Prancing Horses as his replacement for next year. However, given his excellent start to 2024, the Spanish driver has made himself the hottest candidate in the driver market.

Amongst many teams, Red Bull and Mercedes are probably the two most sought-after seats for Carlos Sainz as they would provide him with race-winning machinery.

But Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko mentioned that they won't be able to match Audi's lucrative offer for the 30-year-old. Speaking with Sky Germany, Nico Rosberg gave his reasoning behind the Austrian team offering less money to Carlos Sainz and said:

“If you look at the driver market, Carlos fits in best everywhere. He would be the best for Mercedes and the best for Red Bull. Apparently, Red Bull didn’t offer him enough money, and wants to work for Mercedes.

“You can’t offer him more than a year because you’re hoping for Kimi Antonelli, who is really an exceptional talent, after a year at the latest. Audi would be a great fit, but Audi for Sainz, he wants to win races now and he’s starting all over again. It’s a difficult decision.”

Carlos Sainz chimes in about his 'best level' in F1

Carlos Sainz stated that he was unsure if he was driving at his 'best level' in the sport despite making a remarkable start to the 2024 season.

Speaking with the media, including Sportskeeda, the Spanish driver said:

"Am I at my best? I don’t know. For sure, it’s been my strongest start to the season since [I joined] Ferrari – this, I think, is not a secret. It’s a difficult thing to answer. Obviously, it looks like it because the podiums are coming, and the results are showing."

"I’ve been at my best also in McLaren, I’ve been at my best in Toro Rosso. So what changes is the car – some years you have a better car than others. Some years you have a better qualifying car, a better race car."

Carlos Sainz currently sits P4 in the Driver's Championship with 69 points, seven points behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who has raced one more race than the Spaniard this year.