Helmut Marko, a senior consultant for Red Bull Racing, has been openly sharing details about Audi’s tempting three-year contract proposal to Carlos Sainz, who is set to leave Ferrari. Meanwhile, it seems Sergio Perez is likely to renew his tenure at Red Bull next season. Marko, aged 80, praised Perez for contributing more than just his racing skills. “He brings Mexican sponsors with him,” Marko disclosed to Osterreich newspaper. “His demands are more about the length of the contract.”
Indeed, rumours are circulating that Red Bull may only extend a one-year agreement to 34-year-old Perez in 2025. However, Audi, under its new ownership of Sauber, is believed to be presenting a substantially longer term to potentially snag him.
Marko has also revealed to Kleine Zeitung that Sainz has been made “a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t match or beat.” Further elaborating to another publication, Osterreich, Marko highlighted Sainz’s current strong form. “Look, Sainz is currently in great shape,” he noted. “I think he has a very great three-year offer from Audi, but he has to make a decision relatively soon.”
While maintaining a firm stance, Marko added, “We, on the other hand, won’t make a decision soon. We won’t let things like that put us under pressure.”
Mercedes is also reportedly in the running to sign Sainz for 2025, albeit possibly just for a year, perhaps similar to Red Bull’s proposal.
Sainz, speaking in Shanghai, was discreet about specific teams, stating, “I won’t talk about (team) names, because I don’t want them to be in the headline – ‘Carlos said this or that’. When I said that we have been talking to all the teams, I mean that we have been talking to all the teams! I’m sure there are very interesting options in the medium term, not even the long term, that I will consider and am considering. Each option, without a doubt, has its advantages and disadvantages. The best thing is that all the good options are still there and we can still consider them all.”
He hinted at the allure of a competitive yet short-term offer for the next season. “It would of course be very tempting to get a competitive car for 2025,” he mused. However, he pointed out that his decision is not solely in his hands. “But that doesn’t just depend on me,” he explained.
Discussing the tough nature of Formula 1, Sainz shared, “I think it shows how hard F1 is. Someone who is doing well doesn’t know where they are going to race next year, which in other sports doesn’t happen so often. F1 is a particular, political, but also exciting sport. It will be entertaining when Netflix shows what’s going on,” he concluded with a smile.
GMM
