Christian Horner meets Williams as Carlos Sainz to Red Bull rumors explode
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Christian Horner meets Williams as Carlos Sainz to Red Bull rumors explode

Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing since 2005, has recently attracted interest after his visit to Williams motorhome during the Brazilian Grand Prix. This meeting, which was initially thought to involve discussions about Franco Colapinto’s future with Red Bull, has been fueled by speculation about a potential driver reshuffle that could see Carlos Sainz join Red Bull Racing.

His visit was with James Vowles, Team Principal for Williams, a team currently rebuilding. This meeting has ignited hours of conversation within the paddock and sparked media discussion about future lineups for 2025.

The reason Horner was at Williams was originally understood to revolve around Franco Colapinto, the 21-year-old Argentinian driver who joined Formula 1 mid-season, replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams. Colapinto has shown promising results, highlighted by his points debut in his second race, attracting the attention of top teams, including Red Bull. His potential move to Red Bull’s RB team for 2025 seemed plausible, especially with the brand looking to strengthen its lineup amid the battle surrounding Sergio Perez.

As rumors of Colapinto’s potential role with Red Bull intensified, another theory emerged, suggested by Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok. He speculated that Horner might consider bringing Carlos Sainz to Red Bull, allowing Williams to keep Colapinto.

“Hmm… If I were Horner, I’d negotiate a price to bring Carlos Sainz into the big team and let Williams keep Colapinto,” suggested Chandhok, via Sky Sports F1 . This theory gains traction with the current performance pressure on Perez, whose form has seen Red Bull’s position in the Constructors’ Championship slip behind McLaren and Ferrari.

Discussions surrounding Carlos Sainz, the Spanish Formula 1 driver with a strong career at Renault, McLaren and Ferrari, possibly returning to a Red Bull-affiliated team open up opportunities for both teams. This move is interesting given his history with Max Verstappen during their time as Toro Rosso teammates. Chandhok addressed this, noting:

“Yeah yeah, the Max camp apparently don’t want him but it’s been a decade since they were teammates (get over it!) and this year they’ve shown they need two drivers who score goals.”

Sainz’s confirmed commitment with Williams for 2025, along with Alex Albon, puts Williams in a strong position. However, Red Bull’s interest adds an element of uncertainty. The notion of Sainz moving to Red Bull is not entirely new, as Red Bull once considered him after Ferrari. Still, they opted for stability with Perez at the time. Now pressure on Perez and plans for the future may make Red Bull reconsider this previous choice.

Competition for places within the Red Bull setup is intense, not only with outside drivers such as Sainz and Colapinto, but also existing talent within their group. New Zealander Liam Lawson has emerged as a viable candidate for a main seat after replacing Daniel Ricciardo at RB. Yuki Tsunoda, also part of the sister team, remains a potential option. Both Lawson and Tsunoda are trying to prove their worth to secure a coveted position at Red Bull Racing.

Vowles sees value in nurturing Colapinto, and Red Bull’s interest makes his case strong.

The timeline for deciding these moves is pressing, with resolutions expected before the end of the 2024 F1 season, particularly the Abu Dhabi finale.