#one thing i do think is funny is that going to audi or redbull means being teammates with someone who has beat him in the h2h before

[presdestigatto]

what about sainz to red bull?

a few reasons why it doesn’t look likely now:

1) redbull wants to wait as long as possible before signing their 2nd driver, mainly because it incentivises checo to do well. they’ve said they won’t discuss contracts until the summer break & it’s in carlos’ interests to sign as early as possible. he could wait, but that means that his chances of being seatless next season grows.

also! there’s no guarantee that he can keep up his current form over the season, particularly with the imola updates which are rumoured to make the car focused more on the front end—which favours charles. already (china) charles is qualifying and finishing above him. if charles goes back to beating him comfortably that makes his bargaining power smaller. right now fresh off the aus win is the best time for him actually

2) helmet marko has basically said they have no interest in matching audi’s offer for carlos

3) the redbull seat is the most 2nd driver seat in the whole of f1 😭 history says that’s not what carlos wants, though he could settle for it

but redbull may also not want him as a 2nd driver because he comes with a very messy entourage & has shown that he isn’t a good team player. he just attacked charles at the restart last week losing them position to russell. considering the circumstances at redbull now, it is decidedly in their best interests to not sign someone who may make max unhappy. can you imagine losing max verstappen because you signed carlos sainz?? (among other reasons ofc) plus their fathers have butted heads before in toro rosso. can’t imagine jos will be very happy to see sainz sr again

from redbull’s point of view, checo is currently a better option than carlos. he won’t challenge max, he brings in sponsors & viewership from a huge country (whereas spain already has alonso), he can get those 1-2s for the team. ‘checo will fall off’ so will carlos if we’re going by past trends (e.g. post-suzuka to AD in 2023) i think if checo keeps up his current form he’ll get an extension

he will also have a really terrible time at redbull. i’m afraid max will curbstomp him

there are negotiations but i doubt redbull are offering him terms he’ll be happy with (more than a year, assurances he won’t be sacrificed for max at times etc etc) if he does go there he’ll have to accept being second to max because if he tries as hard to beat max as he at beating charles right now—it would be very funny to me, but bad for the team (i don’t think he will be able to get close enough to max to do this but yk that’s also a very bad look for him)