F1 legend drops Carlos Sainz to Red Bull BOMBSHELL

Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 legend drops Sainz to Red Bull BOMBSHELL

Carlos Sainz could still be in with a chance to return to the Red Bull F1 family

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 8 January 2025 20:54

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has issued a stark verdict over Max Verstappen's control over his Red Bull team-mate.

Following a disappointing 2024 season for Christian Horner's team, the outfit have now chosen to replace the Dutchman's old team-mate Sergio Perez, opting for junior driver Liam Lawson to replace him.

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Perez's consistently poor performances ultimately dragged the team down to third place in the constructors' standings, an underwhelming result given their previous domination of both championships in 2022 and 2023.

As the 2024 silly season got underway with constant rumours of Perez's potential replacement, fans and pundits alike felt the timing was perfect for outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to make a return to the Red Bull F1 family.

The Spaniard previously raced alongside Verstappen at Red Bull's junior F1 team, known at the time as Toro Rosso, but the pair reportedly butted heads on several occasions, with Sainz's racing prowess posing a potential issue for the four-time champion should they reunite at the same team in the future.

On top of this, many among the F1 paddock shot down speculation that Sainz could be a replacement for Perez for 2025 due to the supposedly fragile relationship between their fathers- Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr.

Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen were team-mates in 2015 at Toro Rosso

Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr. reportedly sustained a fractured relationship in the past

Montoya issues shock Verstappen team-mate verdict

Now, former McLaren and Williams star Montoya has discussed the driver duo, making the bombshell claim that Verstappen could well have have blocked the move for Sainz should he or his team angled for it.

Speaking to CasasDeApuestas.bet, Montoya said: "I’m sure that Max Verstappen would have stopped Carlos Sainz coming to Red Bull so the competition within the team wasn’t difficult, although I can’t confirm personally.

Juan Pablo Montoya has issued his verdict over Max Verstappen's team-mate 'control'

"When they were teammates at Toro Rosso their relationship was pretty bumpy. I am not sure Max would have wanted to deal with that again.

"He made Max Verstappen’s life pretty difficult. So when you can control who is in the car as Max is, you wouldn’t want to shoot yourself would you?

"It’s not about [Max Verstappen] being scared, it’s about being smart. Why would you make your life unnecessarily difficult and create a difficult environment?"

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Ferrari Christian Horner Sergio Perez