Carlos Sainz’s manager has now ‘knocked on the door’ of Williams competitors to open talks

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Carlos Sainz could be on the move in 2026, having been linked with multiple teams in the paddock. His manager has already opened talks with Red Bull.

Sainz is free to leave Williams at the end of the season through an exit clause in his contract. The team’s struggles in 2026, despite focusing their development last year on the new regulations, will have the Spaniard thinking about extending his deal for another two years.

Should he leave Williams, he has several suitors, including Ferrari, who would be open to signing Sainz and bringing him back to Maranello. Sainz is also monitoring McLaren, another former team, and Red Bull are also under consideration.

Carlos Sainz’s manager opens talks with Red Bull amid Max Verstappen rumours

With Max Verstappen threatening to quit F1 over the regulations, Red Bull are looking at potential replacements on the F1 driver market. The Milton Keynes outfit are keeping tabs on Oscar Piastri, but he recently shut down the Red Bull links.

A return to the Red Bull family could be on the cards for Sainz, as his manager has ‘knocked on the door’ and opened talks. The Spaniard was promoted to F1 via Toro Rosso in 2015, but never raced for the main Red Bull team.

Journalist Roberto Chinchero discussed the situation at Red Bull via Motorsport.com Italia: “There’s also Carlos’s bid. Sure, I mean, his manager has definitely knocked on Red Bull’s door too, but I’m 100% ready to bet on it.

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“It’s true that, well, in some respects Sainz has more experience, but in other respects, you see, Oscar has already experienced that very special atmosphere you breathe when you’re fighting for a championship.

“Sainz has never experienced that in Formula 1. He’s already experienced those fierce head-to-head battles where you go toe-to-toe with your teammate.

“It probably also depends on the long-term perspective. It depends on whether the driver you’re looking for is theoretically Max’s replacement or could also be Max’s teammate.

“In that case, Sainz, especially at Red Bull, don’t consider him the right person to put alongside him to partner him with Verstappen. So there are many factors; the question is a good one, mind you, but there are quite a few factors under discussion at the moment.”

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

What has Carlos Sainz said about returning to Red Bull in the future?

Whether Sainz will return to Red Bull is unclear, but certainly, he will not be brought in as Verstappen’s teammate, given their history together at Toro Rosso.

It was reported that Sainz is in ‘pole position’ to replace Verstappen, should he decide to leave Williams. The Grove outfit are struggling to get out of Q1 in 2026, with the team having only scored seven points thus far.

Despite their issues, Sainz would find winning with Williams more satisfying than returning to Red Bull. The team is a project and is slowly trying to get back to the top of the sport, and the Spaniard seems on board with the mission, for now, at least.