Carlos Sainz offered Red Bull reserve driver option as Sergio Perez continues to lose money

Carlos Sainz could have an address in Milton-Keynes next year! As of yet, the Spaniard has not revealed any plans for his future after his departure from Ferrari at the end of this season. But a reserve role at Red Bull remains one of his many options. Currently, Liam Lawson is RBR’s reserve driver who could possibly get Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at Red Bull’s sister team, VCARB. So, Ricciardo could be relegated to a reserve role, and with him, Carlos Sainz Jr. could also occupy the same position.

Sainz comes from a family of drivers in Spain as his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., is a rally driver. The 62-year-old is still active on the circuit where he won his last Dakar Rally in 2024 with Red Bull. Due to his long-standing ties to the Austrian team, Carlos Sainz Sr. has considerable influence over its decision-makers. For example, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes the rally driver can convince Red Bull to offer his son a reserve driver position.

Carlos Sainz Jr. was already part of Red Bull’s junior program in 2010. The first time he drove an F1 car was during a test for Red Bull with the RB9. In fact, the #55 driver had started his career at the top of motorsport with a drive at Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s sister team. But he left Red Bull for Renault later. And then, he moved to McLaren. After spending two years with the papaya army, Sainz received a job offer at Ferrari where he has remained until now.

In January 2024, the Scuderia announced that they would sign Lewis Hamilton in place of Sainz. Now, the Spaniard is looking for a new team. With Ferrari being one of the top 3 teams on the current grid, Sainz is reportedly keen to join a similar team for 2025, but no such seat is available. Speaking on Carlos Sainz’s best bet, Eddie Jordan speculated on the “formula for success”, saying: “Carlos Sr. is a Red Bull driver and has won many Dakars. And remember, Carlos Jr. started out as a Red Bull driver. So would it be better if he were to be a reserve driver for Red Bull from now on? Because that’s the obvious solution..”

Jordan believes Sainz can survive a season as Red Bull’s reserve driver and could take Sergio Perez’s place. But what made the Irishman think the Milton-Keynes team would get rid of Perez despite the Mexican’s two-year contract with them?

Eddie Jordan believes keeping Sergio Perez could hurt Red Bull’s finances

On June 4, Red Bull extended its contract with Sergio Perez. However, in 2024, he has not won a single race, while his teammate Max Verstappen has won 7 Grands Prix. Perez currently sits fifth in the World Championship, while the Dutchman leads the standings. Due to this disparity, Eddie Jordan wants RBR to get rid of the Mexican, as he could harm the team’s chances of winning the Constructors’ World Championship.

Speaking about Carlos Sainz potentially replacing Perez, Eddie Jordan said: “How long can Red Bull continue with Checo in the current situation? I mean, think about it, because, at the moment, Red Bull is fighting for the constructors’ championship, because that’s where the real money is..” If Sergio Perez does not improve his game, Ferrari, who are only 64 points behind Red Bull, can usurp the Austrian team for the championship lead and the bonus that goes with it.

But the game is not over yet for Checo. He will have the chance to surpass Max next week in Britain. The Silverstone GP is fast approaching and if Sergio Perez scores a win to impress Red Bull shareholders, he could stay with the team for longer. But for now, the situation seems hopeless because the Austrian team can activate a performance clause in his contract and demote Perez to sister team VCARB, as they did with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.

So, does Checo have what it takes to fight for his Red Bull seat by winning a race soon? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.