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Horner confirms: 'We thought long and hard about Sainz coming'
Sergio Perez has been offered a new contract by Red Bull Racing, but Christian Horner has revealed to Viaplay that Carlos Sainz was also in the picture for the seat next to Max Verstappen.
Red Bull Racing and Sergio Perez announced on Tuesday that the Mexican had signed a new contract. With that, Perez is locked in for two more years, and there was no room for other drivers. Yet, according to Red Bull Racing's team boss, Perez was not the only one in the picture.
Why Horner selected Perez
"Carlos [Sainz] is a great driver and he's on the market for next year. We did think long and hard about that. But in the end, Checo has done so much for the team. He's a great team player. He's still performing at a very high level.
"what they've achieved together as a pairing is the most successful pairing we've ever had in Red Bull Racing. So we felt that it was right to have that stability and continuity." Verstappen was also happy that Perez will remain his teammate for longer. The Dutchman also cited the stability and calm within the team as an important argument.