F1: Could Carlos Sainz Replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. finds himself without a seat for the 2025 season after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will be making his much-anticipated move from Mercedes-AMG to the Prancing Horse team after this season.

Despite this, Sainz will have the entirety of the current season to explore opportunities with other teams and vie for a championship with Ferrari in his final year with the Maranello-based outfit.

Sainz explicitly stated what he wants for his next team in an interview during Day 2 of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, February 22.

"[I am] looking for a project first that allows me to win and be performing as soon as possible. But also, for sure looking at stability and how important stability is in a project in the medium to long term. To build a strong team and a team to understand the driver and the driver to understand the team," the two-time Grand Prix winner said.

The 29-year-old driver is expected to attract significant interest, given his reputation as one of the current grid's most consistent, reliable, and skilled operators.

During the 2023 season, Sainz stood out as the only non-Red Bull driver to secure a race victory for the entire year, crossing the finish line first in the Singapore Grand Prix. He also claimed two more podiums and finished seventh in the championship standings.

Could Carlos Sainz Jr. replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

Speculations soared to new heights when Carlos Sainz Jr.'s father, Carlos Sainz Sr., was seen meeting with several of Red Bull's key figures, including team principal and CEO Christian Horner, motorsports advisor Helmut Marko, and chief technical officer Adrian Newey in Bahrain.

A possible move to Red Bull is not entirely out of the picture for Sainz, given his desire to move to a championship-contending team and his familiarity with the people around there.

Sainz has a longstanding association with Red Bull, joining the Red Bull Junior Team during his teenage years in 2010.

Sainz entered the Formula One scene by making his debut for Toro Rosso, Red Bull's sister team, in 2015.

Throughout his rookie year, he partnered with Max Verstappen. Their duo extended into the first four races of the 2016 season before Verstappen's promotion to the main Red Bull team by the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Sainz continued with Toro Rosso until the latter part of the 2017 season, participating in the final four races of that year with Renault.

While nothing is set in stone, and the encounter between Sainz's father and the Red Bull executives might simply be a casual meeting, Sainz emerges as a genuine contender for Red Bull's 2025 seat.

This consideration arises due to Sergio Perez's contract scheduled to conclude after the current season and his inconsistent performance in 2023, despite being in the most dominant car in F1 history.