Christian Horner has put to rest any speculation about a last-minute attempt to bring Carlos Sainz to Red Bull next season, despite ongoing rumors about Sergio Perez’s future with the team.
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Sainz has already secured a multi-year contract to join Williams starting in 2025, but recent sightings of Red Bull’s team principal Horner leaving the Williams motorhome at Interlagos sparked rumors. The buzz suggested he might be discussing a potential release for young Franco Colapinto—or even considering an early move for Sainz.
Sources at PlanetF1.com indicate that Horner’s discussions in Brazil centered on possibly bringing Colapinto into the Red Bull fold next season. The young Argentine has caught attention with his performance since replacing Logan Sargeant after the summer break.
However, Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, jokingly suggested that Horner’s visit was just for a taste of the team’s new sponsor’s coffee. But with Sainz set to join Williams and Alex Albon already locked in for next season, Colapinto currently lacks a race seat for 2025.
While Horner praised the Argentine driver’s talent in recent races, he confirmed that Sainz—a former Toro Rosso driver—won’t join Red Bull in 2025, as he’s already committed to Williams.
“I mean, there’s always plenty of speculation in the Formula 1 paddock,” Horner said in an interview with talkSPORT when asked if he is looking at Sainz.
“Carlos Sainz is going to be a Williams driver next year. He’s a great driver, had a big win in Mexico recently, and I think he’ll be very good for that team.”
When asked if Red Bull might still pursue the current Ferrari driver despite his commitment to join Williams next year, Horner clarified:
“No, Carlos is committed to Williams, and he wouldn’t form part of our plans for next year.”
Sainz will leave Ferrari at the end of this season, having scored four wins with the team. After talks with various teams, he ultimately chose Williams as his next stop. Vowles shared that his first conversation with Sainz’s team occurred before Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was publicly announced.
Sainz said to Sky F1:
“Williams is the one that has invested in me, that has backed me up from the beginning, the ones that came to me a full year ago, and that actually makes me super excited.
“I said, ‘I want to give to these guys what they’ve given to me, give back to them this trust and this belief in me’, and it actually gives me good strength – and I cannot wait to go there and together with them, build something good.”
Stay tuned as the driver lineup drama continues to unfold – will Red Bull make more moves, or is the team set for the season ahead? Follow for the latest updates in this ever-evolving F1 season!
FEATURED IMAGES COURTESY OF SCUDERIA FERRARI
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