F1 | Horner opens up to Sainz in Red Bull: “It can't be ruled out”

Still recovering from appendicitis surgery, Sainz won the Melbourne event after overtaking pole-sitter Max Verstappen on the second lap, when the Dutchman had brake problems.

After Verstappen's retirement on lap four, Sainz got the better of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to take his first victory since last year's Singapore Grand Prix, being the only driver other than Verstappen to win a race since April last year.

Sainz will lose the Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton in 2025, which at the moment probably makes him the most coveted “zero parameter” on the driver market.

Most of the rumors about the potentially vacant seat of Sergio Perez, whose contract expires at the end of the year, have focused on the drivers in orbit at Red Bull, therefore Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and even Liam Lawson.

But amid rumors that Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso is also in contention, Horner has given the firmest indication that Red Bull is willing to look outside its own driver pool.

“I think we want to field the best possible pairing in Red Bull Racing and sometimes you also have to look outside the group,” said Horner, before referring to Sainz: “Today's race was won by a very fast and unemployed driver So the market is quite fluid with certain drivers.”

Among other things, we must not forget that Sainz is a product of the Red Bull academy: his career in Formula 1, in fact, began at Toro Rosso, where he teamed up with Verstappen as well as with Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly from 2015 to 2017, when he then moved to Renault during the current season.

When Motorsport.com asked Horner if he would consider bringing Sainz back, he replied: “Look, based on a performance like that you can't rule out any possibility, so I think you just want to take the time to decide “.

“Obviously Checo was compromised today. He also had a great start to the season, so we are not in a desperate hurry. Carlos is the only driver who has beaten Red Bull in the last year, so he seems to be our nemesis.”

Asked if a performance like the one in Melbourne, just two weeks after surgery for appendicitis, had increased his value, Sainz replied: “I don't know. For sure, it doesn't hurt. That's 100% for sure. It doesn't hurt.” I still have a job for next year, so I think this will help me.”

“I think everyone knows more or less what I can do. I don't race to prove myself to team principals or people. I race to prove to myself that if I'm given a car, I can do it and be up to it. This is the mentality and approach that I have and will continue to have for the rest of the year.”