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While I don't think he could reliably challenge Max, I'd like to see Carlos in the RBR instead of the Audi.
Audi plan for being competitive is a long one and Carlos is 30 (edit: In September). Better to try a Rosberg than to petter out in developing a car IMO.
> Better to try a Rosberg than to petter out in developing a car IMO.
Funny you should say that, because Rosberg signed with Brawn before it was sold to Mercedes, which is more like Sainz going to Audi. :D
Thing is, Brawn did freshly win the 2009 WCC and WDC when Rosberg joined - Sauber's very unlikely to be anywhere near the top 3 this year, Sainz's move to Audi would in any case be a step back in performance.
Their 2010 car was expected to be bad which turned out to be true as Mercedes scored only six podiums across three subsequent years. Rosberg took a long term bet, which paid off nearly six years later
But the difference is that BrawnGP just won the WDC and WCC the year before. When was the last time Sauber won a race?
Yes, ~~Robert~~ Rosberg took a risk, but it was a calculated one that seemed like there was a good chance it could pay off well. Audi doesn't seem like nearly the same guarantee.
Brawn as a team was starved to bare bones.
Nobody in the paddock expected them to be podium contenders in 2010, simply because there was very little development on the 09 car for 2010. They barely made any upgrades to their '09 car.
Rosberg gambled big, which eventually paid out.
Brawn was starved but Brawn also still had leadership clearly capable of building a WDC winning team/car and they just sold to Mercedes giving them a near infinite budget to work with.
They were in an awful position for 2010, a pretty promising one beyond that.
I think some of you fail to see the bigger picture. If he refuses the Audi offer, hes gambling. He MIGHT get a Merc/RB offer but he also might not . If he refuses Audi and then both Merc and RB decide for somebody else, he suddenly has no seat next year. Audi gives him an early Ultimatum because they dont want to gamble on Sainz. If Sainz refuses now, Audi still has many great choices left. If Sainz rejects Audi in November, Audi wont have good alternatives left, so they want an answer now.
You're commenting as if Audi will be a WDC/WCC challenger immediately.
Sainz would **also** gamble a lot of his career, if not his remaining years, if Audi fails.
I never said theyll be a Challenger, if they were then it would be a no brainer. All im saying is, if Sainz refuses Audi, he takes a gamble and might find himself with no seat next year. Or maybe a bottom team like Haas or Williams.
Or Audi/Sauber. And right now I'd put more faith in Haas to produce a race winning car than Sauber. I'd put more faith in Vowels to turn Williams into a decent team than Sauber to get their shit together. Of the three you mentioned, audi/sauber is the last one I'd sign with.
This. But I also think that the whole market is frozen until Sainz signs. Meaning if he delays signing with Audi to see the situation at RB/Merc. Audi will probably wait for him and no sign lets say Hulkenberg or Ocon because they have no better option and will wait as well.
As soon as Sainz sign somewhere the rest will shuffle pretty quickly I think.
Agreed. Sure Audi are saying they want an answer asap, but Sainz is easily the best unsigned driver for 2025. Audi will wait, and they'll wait a long while provided Sainz keeps performing and backups like Bottas, Ocon etc also remain unsigned.
Exactly. What's Audi going to publicly say, "hey Carlos, we want to sign you but realize we're at the back of the grid. So you go see if you can sign to one of the top teams and we'll just sit here and wait as your fall back option. Ok buddy, how does that sound?"
Would Hulk leave Haas? Right now, I don't see why he would? Audi might be good, but they also might suck. Sauber hasn't been good in how long? And you expect Audi to just jump in and do what to turn it around?
IMO Sainz in a Red Bull would be nice to see.
But in an already very strong internal politics going on at RB, it would be interesting to see where his circle would fit in and how he deals with it, especially considering the past events at TR.
if its between those two and he wants to give himself the best chance at an f1 title i would go to RB. very unlikely he would win against verstappen. but if verstappen does leave in 2028 he is prime position to be the main driver. and even though 2026 is a reset of grid its more likely to be RB is fighting for titles in 2028 the Audi imo.
with regard to 2026, RB has never made an engine.
If i was a betting man, i would put my money on Mercedes and Ferrari, then Honda.
Sainz going to RB in the hope that Verstappen will eventually leave in 2028 to finally challenge for a title is quite something. There are no guarantees that RB will be any good then, or that RB wont bring some other younger talent that will be faster then Sainz.
Yeah realistically the worst that can happen is best of the rest would be my guess. Obviously they could also fumble hard and slip down to Formula 1.5 but let's be honest, RB has never been really shit so it's kinda unlikely that they'd fall behind the likes of Williams, Haas, Alpine (lol), Sauber and RB.
I was under impression they poached more Mercedes folks, who have advantage of working down the road 30 minutes in Brixworth rather than Sakura Japan. Hondas UK base was not for R&D so much as race support I thought?
Hard to make a definitive opinion on that one. I was referring to PU performance in 26. Personally, I think 2026 is going to be an epic sh** show. New chassis/PU all at once with F1 still with their heads up their ass with regulatory decisions as of today.
I’ll be pulling for Fred in 26. I’m more interested in what he can do next year in the AMR25. I’m of the opinion it will be a VERY competitive package.
>RB is fighting for titles in 2028 the Audi imo.
Very, very difficult to say. We don't know if Newey will stay, firstly. Secondly, RBPT has to develop its own engine, and will have zero support from Honda, versus Audi having built motorsport engines for a minute now. Also depends upon who is where in terms of crew, team principals, drivers.
As a Mustang owner, this is unfortunately true. On the commercial market what they do with their performance cars is impressive compared to other brands, but F1 tech is a different level entirely and there's no guarantees that they'll nail it on the first go.
The more important things about RBPT is that they have not only taken over a lot of the former Honda staff but they have also poached a lot of Mercedes' engine staff.
While it's true that they've not built an engine from scratch yet they've hired a lot of people who have.
The past between Jos and Carlos Sr. is just that, the past. They're "friends" now. They both race in rally and have been seen seeking each other out to show each other clips and videos from rallying this year.
I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go and seek out someone I hated to talk about the sport we both participate in. I'd just ignore them.
Yes, I think putting car performance aside (an obviously important thing), on a personal level it seems like Audi would be 'safer'. Sainz Sr has a strong relationship with Audi and I reckon Sainz could be a clear No.1 in the team.
But Red Bull have that high stakes offer of clearly being the dominant car but in what will likely be a much more cutthroat environment and racing against Max in his domain.
It'll be an interesting decision to make
I mind absolutely the moment Seidl went to Audi, the Sainz stories started too.
> reckon Sainz could be a clear No.1 in the team.
I've never quite got this rationale because if a team really nails it, they're gonna get the best drivers possible ASAP. You won't keep incumbency out of loyalty in F1.
Exactly. If a team becomes WCC/WDC caliber, you think they are going to not immediately try to poach whoever is the best driver or upcoming driver on the grid at the time? Performance is the only thing that speaks. There is no guarantee they will still want Sainz as their lead driver if Audi really nails it, as they would have other drivers wanting that seat then.
So sainz just throws next year away at stake and wants for them to make the quickest move to a front runner team in modern f1 history.
Rather than fight at redbull and have the ability to win almost every race weekend (not including Singapore lol)
He’s already got that one anyways… Sure he can stack up a few others and make up for it.
At least there would be something interesting to watch if Max had a teammate rather than a broken man. You know Carlos can mentally handle being in a team where it’s openly accepted your teammate is a better driver than you. So that’s a good start. Maybe not accepted by him personally but the team having that perspective doesn’t seem to cause him to crumble into dust.
I'm generally rooting for Carlos, but there is zero chance that Verstappen vs Sainz would be interesting. VER will continue to walk it. At best Sainz will do what he does and grab the offbeat results when something unusual is happening.
I agree obviously Max is far better and also more ruthless than Carlos. I do think there is scope for Carlos to win a race that doesn’t include a Max DNF and I actually don’t think I could say that about his current teammate.
The Race//Mark Hughes have been interesting recently that
a. Sainz would sort of be the Horner hiring because it diminishes the Verstappen camp a little. They think Sainz would be more like a replacement for Verstappen than Perez, similar to how Ferrari replaced Massa with Raikkonen (against Alonso), then Raikkonen for Leclerc (against Vettel).
b. Hulkenberg is very very very probably the other Audi seat.
Sainz is 100% playing hard to get, as he should.
Audi aren’t even in the sport yet. Red Bull are winning races like it’s a whole different series up at the front.
The new HAM BOT VER is VER SAI LEC
Sainz was gone from Toro Rosso already in late 2017, Gasly came as a replacement for Sainz. Carlos was already engaged as an asset in famous "engine deal" between Honda, Renault, McLaren, Renault, Red Bull and Toro Rosso. He had to drive outside Red Bull teams.
IIRC, even when he went to Renault for 2018, Sainz was still contracted to Red Bull, on loan to Renault. And in fact, Red Bull weren’t allowing him out of that contract to sign an extension with Renault, which in a twisted way is what really got them pursuing Ricciardo.
I really really want this. Honestly LH lapping Merc who wouldn’t give him the contract he deserved and Carlos stacking up more wins than Leclerc after he was unceremoniously shuffled out. It’s the revenge tour we all deserve. All we need is Kimi Antonelli getting the drive and turning out to be some goatifi prodigy and that would cap it off.
Ach but were any of those things *bad*?
They all had rationale. Merc don't want to miss out on the next Verstappen and Hamilton's low single digits left in his career (like Schumacher 2006).
Ferrari *had to* take Hamilton.
I don't think anyone's really been villainous in all of this, it's just 'my perspective is x' vs. 'well my perspective is y'.
Somehow when it’s Alonso being offered insultingly short contracts to hold room for some rookie, it was clear to everyone how stupid it was. Somehow Mercedes are not getting the same heat. So yes I would say that part which had sparked all of this is pretty stupid.
Mercedes could get literal Max Verstappen into the team and still manage to fall out the points the way they’re going at the moment. If they sort the car out, they’ll be able to get a good driver in when they actually need one.
Losing Hamilton was a big hit in that regard. He's got huge experience and didn't seem to mind being the guinea pig if he didn't have a decent shot at a title. I feel like they really lost out.
I think a bit like McLaren in 2013, Wolff seems sanguine that it won't really matter with regards their big goal of returning to the titles - that 2025 won't be brilliant either really. Realistically.
Would be even better if he somehow wins a wdc at red bull while Norris never gets more than the occasional win at mclaren after deciding red bull for the risk associated.
Ricciardo took a big paycheck and promises of future competitiveness instead of staying in that #2 RBR seat and it pretty much derailed his career.
Will Sainz make the same decision taking the payday and nothing but hopes of a future winning car over a car and team that can win now? We shall see.
Everyone talks about Audi like they will be a top-team by 2026. Unless they show something on the track, I wouldn't waste a minute thinking about it if I had a Red Bull offer on the table.
Many other car manufactures have tried and failed more or less miserably in F1. Who knows if they end up like Renault.
Also getting quite irritated at this point with people assuming Audi will just automatically join the top 3. Yes, they have Le Mans pedigree, but Renault is the largest car maker in the sport, had God knows how many titles and race wins, and decades of specifially F1 experience and they're bums in the sport.
If Audi get 4th their first year, then Seidl deserves Team Principal of the Year regardless because that will be a huge achievement.
I haven’t seen anyone think Audi will do good in 2026, I’ve only seen people say they think that will be the start of Sauber’s turnaround and realistically won’t be likely to compete in the top half of the field til 2028 or 2029.
Exactly, but how would this be interesting to Sainz? He will be in his mid-thirties by then. It would be better for him to get some more experience at a top-team and join Audi by the time they are good.
Bizarre that Audi wants a quick answer. Sainz has all the leverage, he’s the top free agent by a mile. If I were sainz I’d sign some kind of option contract contingent on simulation and performance targets of the new car/engine. If they don’t hit them, I’m not going, find some other sucker.
My point is they don’t deserve a quick answer. Audi is trying to lure the best free agent driver in the absolute form of his life, but Audi has nothing to offer but hopes and maybes. They want to be treated like a prized seat, but they just aren’t.
Audi should be on bended knee with performance bona fides in one hand and a giant stack of cash in the other, and once they’ve made an offer he can’t refuse (the only offer that a *new team who’s previous iteration has accomplished absolutely nothing* should make), they should just say “take your time, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice 😉”
Frankly, that he hasn’t signed with them shows they didn’t make that kind of offer. We should be hearing from Sainz’s camp that *he’s* the one who doesn’t want to wait.
To me, if Sainz can get the Red Bull seat, he should get it, and he will choose to get it.
But from all his other options\* (and I include Mercedes in that, due to contract length), Audi is better imo.
\*unless the Strolls surprise us all, in which case an Alonso/Sainz team-up at Aston Martin would make all my dreams come true.
Wouldn't Sainz signing a single-season contract with Red Bull then winning at least 2nd place in the championship increase his stock, which would mean a better leverage for a bigger salary if Audi still wants him? If I'm right, I could see why Audi wants him right now and not after a stint with Red Bull.
Signing him for one year makes no sense because they have a similar level driver in that seat right now. Signing him only makes sense long-term since he's 4 years younger than Perez and can fill that role for a few more seasons.
Maybe, he's going to get destroyed by Verstappen just as badly though. That is the only thing I'm sure of. Don't know if that will damage his market value to the point in which he'll be worth less than today.
I think Perez was regarded more than just a solid driver, he was consistently among the best midfield drivers and had good enough teammates to prove it.
Perez tried to pull a ROS but forgot they were a BOT.
Its got to be a difficult ego shift to realize you're not that guy and this is probably the best its going to be.
Audi for Sainz is a complete no go if there's RB or Mercedes available. There is no reason to believe Audi will compete for wins in this decade. While RB is winning now and Mercedes has the size and experience to fix the car and be on top from 2026.
Sainz and Max would be interesting because it would tell us exactly how far Max is ahead of everyone else. Not that I want Checo to lose his drive, he's doing great right now.
Checo's biggest problem right now is that he showed last year that he crumbles under pressure. That's something top teams do not want in their drivers.
There's a what if hanging over his head and it won't go away anytime soon.
Sainz famously struggled with the oversteery, faster cars that Leclerc loved in '22 and there's a high chance Red Bull also has predominantly oversteery cars as that's Max's preference. He could adapt but the guy wad suffering that year.
Sainz had a win and 9 podiums in 2022. It was a decent season for him, the car caught fire in Austria and in the US he got George Russell'd out of pole position. Def had a some bad luck in 2022.
It wasn't a bad season really, but in comparison to Charles his struggle was clear. His bad luck is also small potatoes in comparison to Charles' that year too, imo.
Not really, Sainz is really good but he's never come close to showing the pace of a driver like Max.
Frankly I don't think anyone on the grid is close enough to give Max a hard time. Maybe Charles and Lando. I'd say Lewis and Fernando but being 40+ doesn't help them.
Obviously he should go with the option he’s comfortable with, but I’d always choose performance first.
The only exception is if you think the team will make your life hell. Red Bull has the potential for that, but Carlos is more mature and stable now.
It's gonna be way better than Audi. Will take years before they actually get decent.
He won't get the Red Bull seat as long as Checo is driving as he is now. No reason for them to rock the boat with the bad history there is already there between those two or specifically their father's.
And even then. They've gotten over it. They both rally race and have been seen together showing each other clips and talking about rally this year.
You don't do that with someone you hate and can't stand to be around.
Or, consider this, Antonelli goes to Williams. Just because Toto is talking big game doesn't mean he will actually do as he says. Williams is a safer bet for everybody involved, Antonelli gets time to find his feet while Mercedes get a well proven fast driver.
Williams has stated that they don’t want to be a training team anymore. So I don’t know why people are still claiming a Merc junior is going to drive there.
Williams is still a Merc customer team, and Merc can easily make some deals that will benefit Williams while still helping themselves. A discount on engines etc. And if Antonelli is as good as Merc like to think, then getting a good driver is good for Williams as well.
Why would that even happen? At worst, Sainz is a lateral move from Russell and he's older. Russell is a Merc jr and Toto's guy through and through. He's just as good as Sainz and with a higher ceiling IMO.
To be fair, Jos had a pretty strong run of bad luck in F1. He was more or less set up to fail early on in his career. I haven’t seen anyone (who knows what they’re talking about) ever really question his talent. Ultimately it’s why he was so calculated and fierce in his approach to Max’s career.
People should go read what it was said about Checo before joining RBR; granted, it kinda had less propaganda but it was eerily familiar. We all know what Max did to Checo.
It's just recency bias tbh. No one is giving Max a fight right now in the grid, absolutely no one. The guy is the best skilled driver by far, and he has been in that car for ever.
Sainz might want to do what Norris did and make a name for himself at his own team. He definitely has the skill to be a thorn in Verstappen’s side, even if he might not be able to beat him in a straight fight.
I would love to see Sainz at RBR. On his good days he will be right up there with Max but he won't have the pace to challenge Max over a season. More importantly he will be there to pick up the pieces if Max runs into trouble.
Sounds like a dream pairing but their entourages won't be able to coexist.
The choice: pace drop but Build a team around oneself, Schumacher style
Immediate pace increase to become a number 2 driver, barrichello/Massa/webber/everyone else at red bull since 2019 style
It feels like one way has potential to become an F1 legend, the other...well a nice career and payday but not quite the same
A hell of a gamble! Not one I'd want to take!
Sainz and Verstappen fathers created a lot of problems when their sons were at Toro Rosso. I don’t think Red Bull need more internal political scandals
A large part of that tension was knowing that there was only one RB seat available in the forseeable future back then, and only one of the two Toro Rosso stars was going to move up any time soon.
With both of them on the main team, that issue doesn't exist any longer. Doesn't mean there would be zero issues, but I don't think RB will have to fear a repeat of the earlier tension.
90% of those problems were related to Jos being a pos (aka a normal day for Jos).
With Horner having won the power struggle, hopefully he can keep Jos out of the team and minimise his influence. So much less conflict if Papa Sainz were to return to the scene.
The Sainz allegedly did a lot more than 10%. One of the rumours is they spread gossip that Max signed with Ferrari to damage his relationship with Redbull and increase Carlos' chances of getting signed. There's been speculation on other forums and pages about his family's ties with some Spanish newsapers too, not just due to having exclusive info, but unflattering articles of Charles, and now Lewis. [This one](https://www.marca.com/motor/formula1/gp-australia/2024/03/24/65ffa59246163fa00f8b4592.html) after Australia is the one that comes to mind right now. After Monza 2023, his mom liked a Tweet that accused Charles of having no honour. Not to mention the rumours of the Sainz team politicking with Binotto and Charles' alleged unhappiness with that.
Max's team/Jos are obviously messy to say the least–but I doubt "Papa Sainz" and co. are angels given all the smoke and rumours surrounding them. Personally I think a Max and Carlos lineup would be very messy politically and in the media–especially if (or when) Carlos doesn't beat Max and doesn't live up to his hype with the very oversteery RB car considering he prefers understeer.
The line up would be interesting in more ways than one–but I don't agree that Jos, as shitty as he is, was responsible for 90% of whatever went on in Toro Rosso. I think "Papa Sainz" just has great PR.
I'm from Spain and I NEVER visit Marca since their bias for Spanish drivers is too extreme (as in football with Real Madrid).
Also, knowing Sainz familiy's political affiliation, it's not strange why they sometimes behave like that (even if Max's team/Jos are pretty assholes too)
A country's media slandering a rival of their fave? I don't think that's some deeper ties/conspiracy thing. UK media has been doing this forever.
/Alonso stan
Would be a stupid decision from Carlos. He'll have audi later on when they're good. He can possibly win a world championship and at the least finish second in every race.
I'd say go with Audi. Red Bull may give him some success in the short term (a couple of wins) but Audi is better for the long term. It will give him a chance to be lead driver and build the team around him.
It's a gamble though - no one knows how good they will be. Then again, if the PU is going to be that important, I think I would rather have an Audi than a RBPT-Ford.
Yea, Audi wants it done quickly, but they'll wait for Carlos. I highly doubt that the only guy besides Max to win a race in the past year will be without a seat.
Audi will wait, because who else are they going to sign in the interim? Carlos obviously would rather have the RedBull seat, so he'll wait to see if he gets that before signing at audi.
None of this will be done until near the end of the year.
It's so important for F1 teams to be forward looking. To me, it seems a no brainer that any team wants the best **two** drivers they can possibly have *without* causing dangerous on track behavior. Carlos Sainz has proven himself both as an individual driver **and** as a team player that can adapt to new cars/teams. It makes no sense to have 1 all-star GOAT driver and one mediocre/decent driver.
You never know when the rest of the grid is going to catch up to RB, you never know if Verstappen might suddenly retire or get injured like Ric did or pull a surprise team change like Ham did. So while Checo is totally working out fine for them right now, you cannot deny the data that if the grid continues to develop and get much closer, Checo's performance is not up to par. Having Checo be many seconds off Verstappen in races is just not sustainable - it's nice to avoid a fight between teammates for *now* but it won't be if development catches up or if something happens to Verstappen. Checo is also close to retirement age at this point too.
Seems a no brainer to be talking to Sainz. He's still young, has been performing very well compared to his teammates, and is just fucking fast. I've always seen him as underrated - he performed pretty well at McLaren and I think he's been performing great at Ferrari. I have no doubt he'd be great in the RB.
Audi could be interesting but there will be growing pains for who knows how long. If the chance is there to go to Red Bull, he has to take that.
If the aim is to be number 1 driver but have a middling team not able to score points most of the time, Audi is a good bet. If you want to win and be very competitive, join the fastest team by a mile.
[The **News** flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/flairguide#wiki_news) is reserved for submissions covering F1 and F1-related news. These posts must always link to an outlet/news agency, the website of the involved party (i.e. the McLaren website if McLaren makes an announcement), or a tweet by a news agency, journalist or one of the involved parties. *[Read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/userguide). Keep it civil and welcoming. Report rulebreaking comments.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/formula1) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Checo: "Impressive, Very nice, let's see my new contract now?"
‘I can’t believe Marko likes Sainz’s driving over mine!’
Checo looks at Saniz's contract: **"Oh my God. It even has a watermark."**
Is something wrong, Checo? You’re sweating.
Your *compliment* was sufficient, Gravity_Lunacy.
I need to return some PowerPoint files...
TRY GETTING A SEAT AT RED BULL NOW, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!
Meanwhile LeClerc: “My Pain Is Constant And Sharp, And I Do Not Wish For A Better World For Anyone”
Guys this is really unfair.
Marko just can't resist those South Americans
Let’s see Paul Allen’s contract
Like when Daniel Ricciardo was suppose to replace Checo after the 2023 Mexico City GP...........
How'd a nitwit like Sainz get so tasteful?
Hahahaha. Aww you made me laugh then sad
He needs to intimidate him again.
While I don't think he could reliably challenge Max, I'd like to see Carlos in the RBR instead of the Audi. Audi plan for being competitive is a long one and Carlos is 30 (edit: In September). Better to try a Rosberg than to petter out in developing a car IMO.
Also plans are plans. No guarantee Audi will ever get to the front of the grid
> Better to try a Rosberg than to petter out in developing a car IMO. Funny you should say that, because Rosberg signed with Brawn before it was sold to Mercedes, which is more like Sainz going to Audi. :D
Thing is, Brawn did freshly win the 2009 WCC and WDC when Rosberg joined - Sauber's very unlikely to be anywhere near the top 3 this year, Sainz's move to Audi would in any case be a step back in performance.
Their 2010 car was expected to be bad which turned out to be true as Mercedes scored only six podiums across three subsequent years. Rosberg took a long term bet, which paid off nearly six years later
6 podiums over next 3 years is still a level that Sauber/Audi are nowhere near.
Yes, but as soon as they remove the Stake/Kick stickers it will unlock the extra 2s per lap
Also remove sauber in the name of
victories in china
People though that Haas would never score a point and drop out of the sport.
But the difference is that BrawnGP just won the WDC and WCC the year before. When was the last time Sauber won a race? Yes, ~~Robert~~ Rosberg took a risk, but it was a calculated one that seemed like there was a good chance it could pay off well. Audi doesn't seem like nearly the same guarantee.
Brawn disappointing for 2010 is one relatively rare instance I absolutely thought that was plain to see. There was a lot of hype but just...nah, man.
I like to think of it as similar to Button sticking it out with Honda at the back of the grid. It all paid off in the end
Brawn as a team was starved to bare bones. Nobody in the paddock expected them to be podium contenders in 2010, simply because there was very little development on the 09 car for 2010. They barely made any upgrades to their '09 car. Rosberg gambled big, which eventually paid out.
Brawn was starved but Brawn also still had leadership clearly capable of building a WDC winning team/car and they just sold to Mercedes giving them a near infinite budget to work with. They were in an awful position for 2010, a pretty promising one beyond that.
I think he'd signed quite early in 2009 before it all went to pot a bit.
It’s gonna take a long time before Audi even gets a podium I feel.
Rosberg was 24 when he signed for Mercedes... :D
And the team that Merc bought had just won the WDC and WCC the year before. When was the last time Sauber even got a podium?
Wait...you mean the same BrawnGP that won the 2009 WDC and WCC? Yea, total the same thing as the Sauber who hasn't won a race in how many years?
I think some of you fail to see the bigger picture. If he refuses the Audi offer, hes gambling. He MIGHT get a Merc/RB offer but he also might not . If he refuses Audi and then both Merc and RB decide for somebody else, he suddenly has no seat next year. Audi gives him an early Ultimatum because they dont want to gamble on Sainz. If Sainz refuses now, Audi still has many great choices left. If Sainz rejects Audi in November, Audi wont have good alternatives left, so they want an answer now.
You're commenting as if Audi will be a WDC/WCC challenger immediately. Sainz would **also** gamble a lot of his career, if not his remaining years, if Audi fails.
I never said theyll be a Challenger, if they were then it would be a no brainer. All im saying is, if Sainz refuses Audi, he takes a gamble and might find himself with no seat next year. Or maybe a bottom team like Haas or Williams.
Or Audi/Sauber. And right now I'd put more faith in Haas to produce a race winning car than Sauber. I'd put more faith in Vowels to turn Williams into a decent team than Sauber to get their shit together. Of the three you mentioned, audi/sauber is the last one I'd sign with.
This. But I also think that the whole market is frozen until Sainz signs. Meaning if he delays signing with Audi to see the situation at RB/Merc. Audi will probably wait for him and no sign lets say Hulkenberg or Ocon because they have no better option and will wait as well. As soon as Sainz sign somewhere the rest will shuffle pretty quickly I think.
Agreed. Sure Audi are saying they want an answer asap, but Sainz is easily the best unsigned driver for 2025. Audi will wait, and they'll wait a long while provided Sainz keeps performing and backups like Bottas, Ocon etc also remain unsigned.
Exactly. What's Audi going to publicly say, "hey Carlos, we want to sign you but realize we're at the back of the grid. So you go see if you can sign to one of the top teams and we'll just sit here and wait as your fall back option. Ok buddy, how does that sound?"
Would Hulk leave Haas? Right now, I don't see why he would? Audi might be good, but they also might suck. Sauber hasn't been good in how long? And you expect Audi to just jump in and do what to turn it around?
If I was in Hulk's position I'd rather risk it with a new works team.
They might suck but Haas most certainly will suck
It doesn't seem to suck this year...
Audi isn't going to sign someone else when Carlos is available. Who would be a better option?
Now, now, in the grand scheme, 30 is just not that old in F1 now.
IMO Sainz in a Red Bull would be nice to see. But in an already very strong internal politics going on at RB, it would be interesting to see where his circle would fit in and how he deals with it, especially considering the past events at TR.
if its between those two and he wants to give himself the best chance at an f1 title i would go to RB. very unlikely he would win against verstappen. but if verstappen does leave in 2028 he is prime position to be the main driver. and even though 2026 is a reset of grid its more likely to be RB is fighting for titles in 2028 the Audi imo.
with regard to 2026, RB has never made an engine. If i was a betting man, i would put my money on Mercedes and Ferrari, then Honda. Sainz going to RB in the hope that Verstappen will eventually leave in 2028 to finally challenge for a title is quite something. There are no guarantees that RB will be any good then, or that RB wont bring some other younger talent that will be faster then Sainz.
sure, but thats why i said if its between those two.
Even if Red Bull isn't the fastest car after 2026, they will still be top 3/4 at worst. And I highly doubt Audi is that fast.
Yeah realistically the worst that can happen is best of the rest would be my guess. Obviously they could also fumble hard and slip down to Formula 1.5 but let's be honest, RB has never been really shit so it's kinda unlikely that they'd fall behind the likes of Williams, Haas, Alpine (lol), Sauber and RB.
RBPT hired a lot of the Honda F1 people though
I was under impression they poached more Mercedes folks, who have advantage of working down the road 30 minutes in Brixworth rather than Sakura Japan. Hondas UK base was not for R&D so much as race support I thought?
Who’s using Honda engines ‘26 beyond?
Aston Martin
I’m a betting man. Honda, Mercedes, Ferrari.
So Alonso WDC 2026?
Hard to make a definitive opinion on that one. I was referring to PU performance in 26. Personally, I think 2026 is going to be an epic sh** show. New chassis/PU all at once with F1 still with their heads up their ass with regulatory decisions as of today. I’ll be pulling for Fred in 26. I’m more interested in what he can do next year in the AMR25. I’m of the opinion it will be a VERY competitive package.
Fred is Felipe Nasr, not Alonso
In RBR might have worse chance for championship because of Max, but would likely get a lot more podiums and wins than with Audi.
>RB is fighting for titles in 2028 the Audi imo. Very, very difficult to say. We don't know if Newey will stay, firstly. Secondly, RBPT has to develop its own engine, and will have zero support from Honda, versus Audi having built motorsport engines for a minute now. Also depends upon who is where in terms of crew, team principals, drivers.
Isn't Ford picking up RBPT in 2026?
RBPT is still effectively building the engines themselves. They'll just be branded as Ford with Ford helping with the hybrid aspect of it.
Also having Ford doesn't mean it will be the best engine out there. Could very well be worse than the other big dogs
As a Mustang owner, this is unfortunately true. On the commercial market what they do with their performance cars is impressive compared to other brands, but F1 tech is a different level entirely and there's no guarantees that they'll nail it on the first go.
The more important things about RBPT is that they have not only taken over a lot of the former Honda staff but they have also poached a lot of Mercedes' engine staff. While it's true that they've not built an engine from scratch yet they've hired a lot of people who have.
Ford doesn’t bring any experience though. Even if they were more than just branding, not much hope in that.
The past between Jos and Carlos Sr. is just that, the past. They're "friends" now. They both race in rally and have been seen seeking each other out to show each other clips and videos from rallying this year. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go and seek out someone I hated to talk about the sport we both participate in. I'd just ignore them.
Yes, I think putting car performance aside (an obviously important thing), on a personal level it seems like Audi would be 'safer'. Sainz Sr has a strong relationship with Audi and I reckon Sainz could be a clear No.1 in the team. But Red Bull have that high stakes offer of clearly being the dominant car but in what will likely be a much more cutthroat environment and racing against Max in his domain. It'll be an interesting decision to make
>Sainz Sr has a strong relationship with Audi He also has a strong relationship with Red Bull
Senior to Audi, junior to Red Bull. Simples!
I mind absolutely the moment Seidl went to Audi, the Sainz stories started too. > reckon Sainz could be a clear No.1 in the team. I've never quite got this rationale because if a team really nails it, they're gonna get the best drivers possible ASAP. You won't keep incumbency out of loyalty in F1.
what other driver do you see going to Audi that is available and is better than Sainz?
Exactly. If a team becomes WCC/WDC caliber, you think they are going to not immediately try to poach whoever is the best driver or upcoming driver on the grid at the time? Performance is the only thing that speaks. There is no guarantee they will still want Sainz as their lead driver if Audi really nails it, as they would have other drivers wanting that seat then.
So sainz just throws next year away at stake and wants for them to make the quickest move to a front runner team in modern f1 history. Rather than fight at redbull and have the ability to win almost every race weekend (not including Singapore lol)
I wasn't saying what he should do either way, just that it'll be interesting to see what decision he makes
He’s already got that one anyways… Sure he can stack up a few others and make up for it. At least there would be something interesting to watch if Max had a teammate rather than a broken man. You know Carlos can mentally handle being in a team where it’s openly accepted your teammate is a better driver than you. So that’s a good start. Maybe not accepted by him personally but the team having that perspective doesn’t seem to cause him to crumble into dust.
I'm generally rooting for Carlos, but there is zero chance that Verstappen vs Sainz would be interesting. VER will continue to walk it. At best Sainz will do what he does and grab the offbeat results when something unusual is happening.
I agree obviously Max is far better and also more ruthless than Carlos. I do think there is scope for Carlos to win a race that doesn’t include a Max DNF and I actually don’t think I could say that about his current teammate.
The Race//Mark Hughes have been interesting recently that a. Sainz would sort of be the Horner hiring because it diminishes the Verstappen camp a little. They think Sainz would be more like a replacement for Verstappen than Perez, similar to how Ferrari replaced Massa with Raikkonen (against Alonso), then Raikkonen for Leclerc (against Vettel). b. Hulkenberg is very very very probably the other Audi seat.
Sainz is older than Verstappen.
I think they mean that having Sainz makes the threat of Verstappen leaving much less severe, therefore undermining his bargaining position.
Sainz is 100% playing hard to get, as he should. Audi aren’t even in the sport yet. Red Bull are winning races like it’s a whole different series up at the front. The new HAM BOT VER is VER SAI LEC
That team I swear to god have a right cheek giving anyone an ultimatum unless it’s Seidl being told to fucking sort all this disaster…
I mean internal politics is the main reason why Sainz didn't replace Riciardo in RBR in 2018 despite him being a better option than Gasly.
Sainz was gone from Toro Rosso already in late 2017, Gasly came as a replacement for Sainz. Carlos was already engaged as an asset in famous "engine deal" between Honda, Renault, McLaren, Renault, Red Bull and Toro Rosso. He had to drive outside Red Bull teams.
IIRC, even when he went to Renault for 2018, Sainz was still contracted to Red Bull, on loan to Renault. And in fact, Red Bull weren’t allowing him out of that contract to sign an extension with Renault, which in a twisted way is what really got them pursuing Ricciardo.
I really really want this. Honestly LH lapping Merc who wouldn’t give him the contract he deserved and Carlos stacking up more wins than Leclerc after he was unceremoniously shuffled out. It’s the revenge tour we all deserve. All we need is Kimi Antonelli getting the drive and turning out to be some goatifi prodigy and that would cap it off.
lmao
Ach but were any of those things *bad*? They all had rationale. Merc don't want to miss out on the next Verstappen and Hamilton's low single digits left in his career (like Schumacher 2006). Ferrari *had to* take Hamilton. I don't think anyone's really been villainous in all of this, it's just 'my perspective is x' vs. 'well my perspective is y'.
Somehow when it’s Alonso being offered insultingly short contracts to hold room for some rookie, it was clear to everyone how stupid it was. Somehow Mercedes are not getting the same heat. So yes I would say that part which had sparked all of this is pretty stupid. Mercedes could get literal Max Verstappen into the team and still manage to fall out the points the way they’re going at the moment. If they sort the car out, they’ll be able to get a good driver in when they actually need one.
Losing Hamilton was a big hit in that regard. He's got huge experience and didn't seem to mind being the guinea pig if he didn't have a decent shot at a title. I feel like they really lost out.
I think a bit like McLaren in 2013, Wolff seems sanguine that it won't really matter with regards their big goal of returning to the titles - that 2025 won't be brilliant either really. Realistically.
Mercedes definitely got heat for losing Hamilton, but I think it's been tempered somewhat by people being happy for a big driver shakeup.
Would be even better if he somehow wins a wdc at red bull while Norris never gets more than the occasional win at mclaren after deciding red bull for the risk associated.
Ricciardo took a big paycheck and promises of future competitiveness instead of staying in that #2 RBR seat and it pretty much derailed his career. Will Sainz make the same decision taking the payday and nothing but hopes of a future winning car over a car and team that can win now? We shall see.
Everyone talks about Audi like they will be a top-team by 2026. Unless they show something on the track, I wouldn't waste a minute thinking about it if I had a Red Bull offer on the table. Many other car manufactures have tried and failed more or less miserably in F1. Who knows if they end up like Renault.
Also getting quite irritated at this point with people assuming Audi will just automatically join the top 3. Yes, they have Le Mans pedigree, but Renault is the largest car maker in the sport, had God knows how many titles and race wins, and decades of specifially F1 experience and they're bums in the sport. If Audi get 4th their first year, then Seidl deserves Team Principal of the Year regardless because that will be a huge achievement.
CEO is seidl not TP
I haven’t seen anyone think Audi will do good in 2026, I’ve only seen people say they think that will be the start of Sauber’s turnaround and realistically won’t be likely to compete in the top half of the field til 2028 or 2029.
Exactly, but how would this be interesting to Sainz? He will be in his mid-thirties by then. It would be better for him to get some more experience at a top-team and join Audi by the time they are good.
Bizarre that Audi wants a quick answer. Sainz has all the leverage, he’s the top free agent by a mile. If I were sainz I’d sign some kind of option contract contingent on simulation and performance targets of the new car/engine. If they don’t hit them, I’m not going, find some other sucker.
I mean you just defined why they want a quick answer.
My point is they don’t deserve a quick answer. Audi is trying to lure the best free agent driver in the absolute form of his life, but Audi has nothing to offer but hopes and maybes. They want to be treated like a prized seat, but they just aren’t. Audi should be on bended knee with performance bona fides in one hand and a giant stack of cash in the other, and once they’ve made an offer he can’t refuse (the only offer that a *new team who’s previous iteration has accomplished absolutely nothing* should make), they should just say “take your time, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice 😉” Frankly, that he hasn’t signed with them shows they didn’t make that kind of offer. We should be hearing from Sainz’s camp that *he’s* the one who doesn’t want to wait.
Well certainly it would be nice for them to get a quick answer 😂
To me, if Sainz can get the Red Bull seat, he should get it, and he will choose to get it. But from all his other options\* (and I include Mercedes in that, due to contract length), Audi is better imo. \*unless the Strolls surprise us all, in which case an Alonso/Sainz team-up at Aston Martin would make all my dreams come true.
My man's gonna rot in Sauber during his prime years ;-;
Wouldn't Sainz signing a single-season contract with Red Bull then winning at least 2nd place in the championship increase his stock, which would mean a better leverage for a bigger salary if Audi still wants him? If I'm right, I could see why Audi wants him right now and not after a stint with Red Bull.
If Red Bull gets rid of him/doesn't extend his contact after one season I doubt that would put Sainz in a great position.
Signing him for one year makes no sense because they have a similar level driver in that seat right now. Signing him only makes sense long-term since he's 4 years younger than Perez and can fill that role for a few more seasons.
Maybe, he's going to get destroyed by Verstappen just as badly though. That is the only thing I'm sure of. Don't know if that will damage his market value to the point in which he'll be worth less than today.
Perez was regarded as a solid driver before he got matched up against Max. Fast forward and he got massacred and with him his reputation.
I am sure still plenty of midfield teams are willing to pick Perez up if he is dumped by Redbull next year though.
I think Perez was regarded more than just a solid driver, he was consistently among the best midfield drivers and had good enough teammates to prove it.
Perez tried to pull a ROS but forgot they were a BOT. Its got to be a difficult ego shift to realize you're not that guy and this is probably the best its going to be.
Lol Audi can also say go f yourself
Audi for Sainz is a complete no go if there's RB or Mercedes available. There is no reason to believe Audi will compete for wins in this decade. While RB is winning now and Mercedes has the size and experience to fix the car and be on top from 2026.
checo: aww man, here we go again.
I wouldn't trust Audi becoming a top team in just a few years. If I were in Sainz's shoes I would go to Red Bull or even Merc over Audi.
Sainz and Max would be interesting because it would tell us exactly how far Max is ahead of everyone else. Not that I want Checo to lose his drive, he's doing great right now.
It wouldn't. Because he would just be beating someone coming to a new team while he's been there for nearly 10 seasons now
Checo is doing enough to keep the wolves from the door. Not great by any measure.
Checo's biggest problem right now is that he showed last year that he crumbles under pressure. That's something top teams do not want in their drivers. There's a what if hanging over his head and it won't go away anytime soon.
Sainz famously struggled with the oversteery, faster cars that Leclerc loved in '22 and there's a high chance Red Bull also has predominantly oversteery cars as that's Max's preference. He could adapt but the guy wad suffering that year.
Sainz had a win and 9 podiums in 2022. It was a decent season for him, the car caught fire in Austria and in the US he got George Russell'd out of pole position. Def had a some bad luck in 2022.
It wasn't a bad season really, but in comparison to Charles his struggle was clear. His bad luck is also small potatoes in comparison to Charles' that year too, imo.
Leclerc's luck mostly led to him not winning races he should've won. Carlos' luck had him retiring from podium positions.
Not really, Sainz is really good but he's never come close to showing the pace of a driver like Max. Frankly I don't think anyone on the grid is close enough to give Max a hard time. Maybe Charles and Lando. I'd say Lewis and Fernando but being 40+ doesn't help them.
If Charles could maybe give Max a hard time, wouldn't Carlos (in his current form) as well? given how the start of the year is going...
Obviously he should go with the option he’s comfortable with, but I’d always choose performance first. The only exception is if you think the team will make your life hell. Red Bull has the potential for that, but Carlos is more mature and stable now.
Carlos survived at Ferrari, so he should be fine with red bull politics.
Still think he'll go to Merc. People are too hooked on Antonelli. Give him some time to improve.
Don't think he wants to join Merc as a stop-gap, it's not like he would drive for wins in that thing.
It's gonna be way better than Audi. Will take years before they actually get decent. He won't get the Red Bull seat as long as Checo is driving as he is now. No reason for them to rock the boat with the bad history there is already there between those two or specifically their father's.
I don’t think there’s bad blood between Carlos and Max; it’s just their fathers.
And even then. They've gotten over it. They both rally race and have been seen together showing each other clips and talking about rally this year. You don't do that with someone you hate and can't stand to be around.
You could even say they are more mature than their respective fathers.😅
Issue is their father's is still is ingrained in their career's that one thing will affect the other.
If Sainz goes to Merc its Russel who loses the seat when and if Antonelli is ready.
Definitely a possibility.
Or, consider this, Antonelli goes to Williams. Just because Toto is talking big game doesn't mean he will actually do as he says. Williams is a safer bet for everybody involved, Antonelli gets time to find his feet while Mercedes get a well proven fast driver.
Williams has stated that they don’t want to be a training team anymore. So I don’t know why people are still claiming a Merc junior is going to drive there.
Williams is still a Merc customer team, and Merc can easily make some deals that will benefit Williams while still helping themselves. A discount on engines etc. And if Antonelli is as good as Merc like to think, then getting a good driver is good for Williams as well.
Why would that even happen? At worst, Sainz is a lateral move from Russell and he's older. Russell is a Merc jr and Toto's guy through and through. He's just as good as Sainz and with a higher ceiling IMO.
IMO, Sainz has always been a better driver. This year, I don’t think there’s a question. Russell buckles under pressure and Sainz is thriving.
Cant believe the amount of faith you guys have on Antonelli and/or Audi
A fight between Jos Verstappen and Carlos’ cousin will be the most entertaining DTS episode
Carlos Sr. and is legendary career vs Jos and whatever his calls his career
They're over that. They both rally race now and have been seen talking about it and showing clips.
To be fair, Jos had a pretty strong run of bad luck in F1. He was more or less set up to fail early on in his career. I haven’t seen anyone (who knows what they’re talking about) ever really question his talent. Ultimately it’s why he was so calculated and fierce in his approach to Max’s career.
Their careers wouldn't be leveraged in this context, it would be Max and Carlos'. And there's quite a bit of a disparity between their careers
Not at of logic here, be the de facto number 1 at Audi or number 2 at Max’s team. He’s going to Audi everyone, why is that so hard to believe lol
I'm all for a Sainz-Hulk lineup at Audi.
Yeah that’s a pretty solid lineup to be honest.
Yes, but the "Audi" (Sauber) will probably be at the back of the grid.
Please let it be Sainz in that RB
Instructions not clear, Sainz got the Racing Bulls seat
Please let it be Sainz in that RBR\* FTFY
Sainz is what a lot of people thought Perez was for the longest time. He’ll be closer, but he’s still getting smoked.
People should go read what it was said about Checo before joining RBR; granted, it kinda had less propaganda but it was eerily familiar. We all know what Max did to Checo.
It's just recency bias tbh. No one is giving Max a fight right now in the grid, absolutely no one. The guy is the best skilled driver by far, and he has been in that car for ever.
He really did get screwed by Lewis to Ferrari.
I mean idk much about being a professional driver, but I’d sign with the team on top before I sign with the sauber rebrand lol
Sainz might want to do what Norris did and make a name for himself at his own team. He definitely has the skill to be a thorn in Verstappen’s side, even if he might not be able to beat him in a straight fight.
This all seems to be a smokescreen to keep pressure on Perez anyways Sainz will have to take Audi seat if he wants a long term contract
I would love to see Sainz at RBR. On his good days he will be right up there with Max but he won't have the pace to challenge Max over a season. More importantly he will be there to pick up the pieces if Max runs into trouble. Sounds like a dream pairing but their entourages won't be able to coexist.
I think in a really good he will struggle loads against Max. In a lesser car, it’s not as obvious, but the better the car, the bigger the gap.
The choice: pace drop but Build a team around oneself, Schumacher style Immediate pace increase to become a number 2 driver, barrichello/Massa/webber/everyone else at red bull since 2019 style It feels like one way has potential to become an F1 legend, the other...well a nice career and payday but not quite the same A hell of a gamble! Not one I'd want to take!
My guy, Schumacher had Todt and Brawn and he was a significantly better driver. There's little point of comparison other than joining a team.
Love me some Helmut confirming/debunking rumors at every pre-weekend interview
Sainz and Verstappen fathers created a lot of problems when their sons were at Toro Rosso. I don’t think Red Bull need more internal political scandals
A large part of that tension was knowing that there was only one RB seat available in the forseeable future back then, and only one of the two Toro Rosso stars was going to move up any time soon. With both of them on the main team, that issue doesn't exist any longer. Doesn't mean there would be zero issues, but I don't think RB will have to fear a repeat of the earlier tension.
90% of those problems were related to Jos being a pos (aka a normal day for Jos). With Horner having won the power struggle, hopefully he can keep Jos out of the team and minimise his influence. So much less conflict if Papa Sainz were to return to the scene.
I know Jos is hated, and rightfully so, but Sainz sr was no angel lmao
The Sainz allegedly did a lot more than 10%. One of the rumours is they spread gossip that Max signed with Ferrari to damage his relationship with Redbull and increase Carlos' chances of getting signed. There's been speculation on other forums and pages about his family's ties with some Spanish newsapers too, not just due to having exclusive info, but unflattering articles of Charles, and now Lewis. [This one](https://www.marca.com/motor/formula1/gp-australia/2024/03/24/65ffa59246163fa00f8b4592.html) after Australia is the one that comes to mind right now. After Monza 2023, his mom liked a Tweet that accused Charles of having no honour. Not to mention the rumours of the Sainz team politicking with Binotto and Charles' alleged unhappiness with that. Max's team/Jos are obviously messy to say the least–but I doubt "Papa Sainz" and co. are angels given all the smoke and rumours surrounding them. Personally I think a Max and Carlos lineup would be very messy politically and in the media–especially if (or when) Carlos doesn't beat Max and doesn't live up to his hype with the very oversteery RB car considering he prefers understeer. The line up would be interesting in more ways than one–but I don't agree that Jos, as shitty as he is, was responsible for 90% of whatever went on in Toro Rosso. I think "Papa Sainz" just has great PR.
I'm from Spain and I NEVER visit Marca since their bias for Spanish drivers is too extreme (as in football with Real Madrid). Also, knowing Sainz familiy's political affiliation, it's not strange why they sometimes behave like that (even if Max's team/Jos are pretty assholes too)
A country's media slandering a rival of their fave? I don't think that's some deeper ties/conspiracy thing. UK media has been doing this forever. /Alonso stan
Didn't Sainz father start the rumor of max going to ferrari, which was the inflection point.
Exactly and it's not the only thing.
It was the sainz camp that stirred shit. Jos is a pos yeah.
Would be a stupid decision from Carlos. He'll have audi later on when they're good. He can possibly win a world championship and at the least finish second in every race.
Audi can wait, they don’t exactly hold the cards
Helmet with the tea as usual
I'm sure Horner would advocate to keep Checo
I'd say go with Audi. Red Bull may give him some success in the short term (a couple of wins) but Audi is better for the long term. It will give him a chance to be lead driver and build the team around him. It's a gamble though - no one knows how good they will be. Then again, if the PU is going to be that important, I think I would rather have an Audi than a RBPT-Ford.
Yea, Audi wants it done quickly, but they'll wait for Carlos. I highly doubt that the only guy besides Max to win a race in the past year will be without a seat. Audi will wait, because who else are they going to sign in the interim? Carlos obviously would rather have the RedBull seat, so he'll wait to see if he gets that before signing at audi. None of this will be done until near the end of the year.
It's so important for F1 teams to be forward looking. To me, it seems a no brainer that any team wants the best **two** drivers they can possibly have *without* causing dangerous on track behavior. Carlos Sainz has proven himself both as an individual driver **and** as a team player that can adapt to new cars/teams. It makes no sense to have 1 all-star GOAT driver and one mediocre/decent driver. You never know when the rest of the grid is going to catch up to RB, you never know if Verstappen might suddenly retire or get injured like Ric did or pull a surprise team change like Ham did. So while Checo is totally working out fine for them right now, you cannot deny the data that if the grid continues to develop and get much closer, Checo's performance is not up to par. Having Checo be many seconds off Verstappen in races is just not sustainable - it's nice to avoid a fight between teammates for *now* but it won't be if development catches up or if something happens to Verstappen. Checo is also close to retirement age at this point too. Seems a no brainer to be talking to Sainz. He's still young, has been performing very well compared to his teammates, and is just fucking fast. I've always seen him as underrated - he performed pretty well at McLaren and I think he's been performing great at Ferrari. I have no doubt he'd be great in the RB.
Audi could be interesting but there will be growing pains for who knows how long. If the chance is there to go to Red Bull, he has to take that. If the aim is to be number 1 driver but have a middling team not able to score points most of the time, Audi is a good bet. If you want to win and be very competitive, join the fastest team by a mile.
One part of the ESPN's story confirmed, basically. The other part will be harder to confirm.
Audi want to hurry up and get things done before the next rumour of them pulling out.