Carlos Sainz's sensational form this year has piqued the interest of many. So much so that the driver's woes, which seem to start from the middle of the Spanish season, will be his Achilles' tendon!
Red Bull Racing also thinks every year that a stronger partner would be a good idea alongside Max Verstappen, and given Sainz's performance, speculation has started as to whether the Austrian team has already approached him. Now Helmut Marko has put these rumors to rest:
"That's right, we are negotiating with Carlos. He is performing very well this year, and as a result he is receiving offers that even Red Bull cannot outbid. Specifically, we are aware that Audi is tempting him for an astronomical amount, they have offered him a salary that we cannot match. We know him very well, and we know very well that he still has a thorn in his side when we selected Max from Toro Rosso to the big team and not him.
Of course, we must not forget that Sergio Perez is having the best season of his career this year. If he can maintain his current form, he could definitely be one of the best options for the future. He works very hard, has become a real team player, and has also realized that last year's radical settings led him astray. Now that the setup is closer to Verstappen's, he has also come much closer.” - assessed the situation of Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez by Dr. Marko.
