Carlos Sainz shares what he said to Red Bull after being overlooked for 2025 F1 seat

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Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been at the centre of one of Formula 1’s most chaotic driver markets.

Before the 2024 season even began, Carlos Sainz learned he wouldn’t be a Ferrari driver beyond the end of this year.

Lewis Hamilton had made himself available to the Scuderia and team principal Frederic Vasseur wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to be reunited with the seven-time world champion.

It means Charles Leclerc will partner with Hamilton next year, and Sainz became the prized asset on the free agent market for 2025.

Nearly every team on the grid had at least one driver coming to the end of their contacts this year including Red Bull.

Max Verstappen is on a long-term deal and Red Bull will do everything they can to keep hold of the three-time world champion.

However, Sergio Perez was entering the final year of his deal and despite finishing 2nd in the Drivers’ Championship last season, was under pressure to improve his performance.

Sainz was linked with Perez’s Red Bull seat earlier in the year before signing for Williams.

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Sainz has now explained what he said to Red Bull during talks before ultimately being overlooked by team principal Christian Horner and key advisor Helmut Marko.

Carlos Sainz reacts to not signing for Red Bull after losing Ferrari seat

The Spanish driver was asked about Red Bull’s interest in signing him alongside the concerns that Sainz’s camp and Verstappen’s camp didn’t get along and how that might have impacted his chances.

Sainz replied to this and said: “I think I would get on well with him. We were 16 and 19 at the time. We’ve matured a lot since then.

“At Toro Rosso, they put you in a team and say: fight against each other, then we’ll see who’s the best and who gets to go to Red Bull!

“That’s the reason Toro Rosso exists. You don’t drive together for the team championship, otherwise, the behaviour of the two drivers would change completely.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

“You can see it with Charles and Lando, my last two teammates – there were never any problems.

“So if my relationship with Max is the reason I didn’t end up there, then I say there wouldn’t have been any problems.

“If the decision depended on that alone, then it would just be wrong. But I’ve already told them that.”

Red Bull will not confirm their 2025 driver line-ups until after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

While the 30-year-old is now off the market and Horner has confirmed he won’t be signing Sainz for 2025, Red Bull’s two driver line-ups are still up in the air.

Marko recently confirmed to Kleine Zeitung that “decisions will only be made after Abu Dhabi” regarding Red Bull’s line-ups.

Verstappen is locked in, as is Yuki Tsunoda at RB unless he receives a very unlikely promotion.

Liam Lawson has performed well since replacing Daniel Ricciardo, but he’s not yet signed a contract for next season.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

That may be because Red Bull want to promote him into Perez’s race seat, although buying out Perez’s contract will be very expensive for the Anglo-Austrian team.

That then raises the question of who is brought in to take Lawson’s seat at RB for the upcoming campaign.

Red Bull retain an interest in Franco Colapinto who has missed out on retaining his position at Williams because of the signing of Sainz.

They could also promote from within once again, with Isack Hadjar battling to win the Formula 2 championship against new Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto.