Carlos Sainz to Red Bull analysed as top F1 insider joins the silly season dots

Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, generic, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Carlos Sainz to Red Bull analysed as top F1 insider joins the silly season dots

What will Sainz do next?

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 15 August 2026 19:45

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If Max Verstappen is the hottest property on the driver market in F1 silly season 2026, Carlos Sainz is very definitely running in a strong second place.

Verstappen of course is now effectively a free agent after the exit clause in his current Red Bull contract became active at the summer break. It triggered when he was outside the top two in the Drivers' standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 31-year-old Sainz meanwhile could be inextricably linked to what happens with Verstappen, as rumours continue to link him with the Dutchman's seat at Red Bull.

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Verstappen is the biggest chip to fall in this year's driver market as the 2027 grid shapes up. If he leaves Red Bull it will set off a number of other dominoes.

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What happens next for Carlos Sainz?

Former F1 star turned top insider Ralf Schumacher spoke about those dominoes - and in particular Sainz - in an interview with Sky Sports in Germany.

Schumacher believes there is more than one potential scenario for Sainz, but Red Bull could be one of them.

The 51-year-old German analyst is joining the silly season dots, and believes if Verstappen does join McLaren, then Oscar Piastri to Red Bull in a straight swap is no longer the slam dunk it may once have appeared to be.

He explained: "I'm curious about Sainz. He apparently rejected an offer from Williams (reported to be 30million Euro per year). Is that related to the possibility that Max Verstappen might leave Red Bull? Oscar Piastri has lost some of his prestige and lustre. Or is Sainz even headed to Audi ?"

It's 'tense' at Williams - Ralf Schumacher

The reason Sainz's future is such a hot topic is the current situation at Williams - the iconic British team has enjoyed a miserable 2026 so far.

After finishing fifth in the Constructors' standings in 2025, they have dropped like a stone to ninth so far this year with a badly overweight car hampering Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon.

Schumacher claims: "Things are tense at Williams . The team made a huge mistake with the car. [James] Vowles, who was able to build a car from scratch for the first time under the new regulations, clearly hasn't set himself up properly. There's bound to be a clash there too."

It's been a tough year for James Vowles and Williams.

'Something has broken down between Verstappen and Red Bull'

The current paddock whispers suggest that Sainz is now patiently waiting to see what happens at Red Bull, in the hope that Verstappen's seat does become available in the coming weeks and months. Schumacher believes that scenario is a plausible one.

"Something has broken down between Verstappen and Red Bull. This whole issue of his future is also becoming tiresome for the team. The team itself hasn't delivered.

"Especially at the start of the season, the car was very poor; the update at least worked reasonably well. But the car is very difficult to drive,"

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F1 Red Bull Carlos Sainz Williams