Red Bull gave Sainz ultimatum: 'I had to win or I wouldn't have a place in F1'
F1 News
In recent years, Carlos Sainz has developed into a consistent and reliable driver. By 2024, he was a part of the Formula 1 transfer market due to Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, but back in his junior formula years, the Spaniard said how Red Bull gave him an ultimatum that almost saw him miss out on the pinnacle of motorsport.
Red Bull gave Sainz an ultimatum
“I remember I was starting to get close to Formula 1, Red Bull told me, 'Now, next year is your last chance. You go into Formula 2. You either win or there’s no space for you in Formula 1," Sainz told Rolling Stone.
Sainz was told that if he did not win the title that season, he would be dropped from the junior programme. However, he delivered, winning the Formula Renault 3.5 Series that year with a 35-point lead over Pierre Gasly. In 2015, he made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls, Red Bull's sister team.
The 30-year-old had a lot of help from his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., during that time, with the now Williams driver thankful for all that his dad did, with Sainz Sr. already a two-time WRC champion at the time: "I was lucky to have my dad. But if I wouldn’t have had that switch, and I wouldn’t have had my dad there to help me, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” Sainz concludes.
Eleven years after his debut, Sainz is embarking on an ambitious project at Williams, led by James Vowles, with the aim of taking the iconic British team back to the top of the sport along with his new teammate Alexander Albon.
This article was created in collaboration with Nicole Mulder
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