Carlos Sainz does not want to stay with Toro Rosso in 2018
After three seasons with Toro Rosso, Carlos Sainz is looking for something different. Preferably with Red Bull, but he's ready to leave the energy drink's fold. But that's not to his managers' liking.
On the occasion of the traditional weekend kick-off press conference, Carlos Sainz did not hide that he has ambitions to move up in the Red Bull hierarchy: « Obviously, the rumors are starting to circulate now. As you all know, my number one objective is to be with Red Bull next year and to start fighting for podiums or victories. I will continue to fight for that. »
He did not hesitate to say that he was ready to leave the fold that has accompanied him since his beginnings: « If that doesn’t happen, it’s unlikely I’ll do a fourth season at Toro Rosso. So I’m not closing any doors. »
But for that to happen, either Max Verstappen or Daniel Ricciardo would need to leave Milton Keynes, which doesn’t seem to be on the agenda. Christian Horner quickly responded through Sky Sports: « We are very clear about who our drivers are and who will be our drivers next year. They will have the same numbers as this year. There is nothing to say on the subject. The contracts are clear. Both our drivers are under contract for next year, 100%. »
However, he does not leave the door open for the young man’s departure, who has scored 29 of the 33 points scored since the beginning of the season by the Faenza team: « We have exercised his option. He is under contract. We also have an option on him for the following year. So, he will be at Toro Rosso next year. »
To emphasize his point, Helmut Marko, the leader who has made and broken so many young drivers’ careers, also wanted to react in his usual way. Instead of saying he was betting on the young driver, he preferred to show that he felt Carlos Sainz wasn’t at the level to be promoted: “I think he is a bit lost. I can see it in his driving. He has made stupid mistakes this year. His contract is clear as day. You know, in Austria, we say: ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.’ It was Mr. Mateschitz and me who pushed Sainz to Toro Rosso. Nobody wanted to give him his chance.”
Franz Tost, the team director, hammered the point home in front of the FIA microphones: “This is not Carlos Sainz’s decision. He has a Red Bull contract, and it is Red Bull that decides his future. I am a bit perplexed about this discussion at this time of the year because Red Bull has financed Carlos Sainz’s entire career.”
The director of the Red Bull program knows he is in a strong position, especially since Pierre Gasly is knocking on the door of F1 and does not plan to extend his stay in Japan. But Carlos Sainz and his entourage have not said their last word, as evidenced by the numerous discussions they are having with other teams, starting with Renault. The team is currently rebuilding under the leadership of Nico Hülkenberg and would like to relive the epic era under the guidance of a Spanish driver, as it did during the Alonso years.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
