Christian Horner raises prospect of Red Bull signing Carlos Sainz in 2025

Sainz claimed his third F1 victory with a superb drive for Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday

Christian Horner has opened the door to the prospect of Red Bull signing Carlos Sainz next year.

The Spanish driver is without a seat for 2025, with Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton replacing him at Ferrari after the end of this season.

However, after a stunning drive on Sunday to claim his third F1 victory just 16 days after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, Sainz has put himself firmly on the minds of other teams looking for a driver next year.

While Max Verstappen is signed up to a long-term deal at Red Bull – though he has been linked with Mercedes amid the current unrest at the world champions – Sergio Perez’s deal expires at the end of 2024.

When asked whether Red Bull could target Sainz’s signature, team principal Horner said: “Based on a performance like that, you couldn’t rule any possibility out.

“You’ve had a very fast unemployed driver win today.”

Horner also admitted that “sometimes you’ve got to look outside the pool” of Red Bull drivers, despite Yuki Tsunoda’s “quick” start to 2024 for RB.

Sainz was also the driver who denied Red Bull a perfect 2023 season, claiming the only non-Red Bull victory in Singapore in September.

The Spaniard started his career in the Red Bull family, debuting in 2015 alongside Verstappen at sister team Toro Rosso.

Carlos Sainz is currently without a seat for 2025 (Getty Images)

Mercedes have also been linked with a move for Sainz in what would effectively represent a straight swap for Hamilton, who has signed a multi-year contract with the Scuderia.

It was a day to remember for Ferrari, who claimed their first one-two finish since Bahrain in 2022 as Charles Leclerc finished second.

Sainz joked about his 2025 status with Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle after his victory, saying: “I’m still jobless for next year, so I guess this is good for me.

“But jokes aside, I know that when I’m given a good car I can get it done. I proved it in Singapore, I proved it here.

“When it’s a good car, I’m happy and I’m very happy with the car today.”