Round-up: Red Bull’s decision to not re-sign Vettel due to a “mistake” by Carlos Sainz
The chance of a dream reunion with Red Bull has seemed a possibility on occasion, particularly with Sergio Perez struggling for form, but Helmut Marko has revealed that the presence of Max Verstappen – known for his ability to break teammates – means that partnering Vettel with him isn’t likely.
“Sebastian has already been away for two years,” said Marko of the driver that brought Red Bull its first titles in a dominant run between 2010 and ’13.
“[Nico] Hülkenberg has also been away for longer, but he’s not a four-time World Champion, so he’s even hungrier.
“And to be honest: Sebastian next to Max in the Red Bull? I didn’t want to do that to him.”
This week, Carlos Sainz’s future was finally clarified as he put pen to paper on a long-term deal with Williams. It’s been reported that Sainz does have exit clauses in his contract that would allow him to leave whenever he wants if a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes becomes available – even though team boss James Vowles has dismissed that as being “speculation”.
Former Williams team manager Peter Windsor believes Sainz has made a “big mistake” if he hasn’t ensured Ferrari is one of the teams he’s added to such a clause, if one does exist.
Appearing on the Cameron F1 YouTube channel, Windsor said: “Big mistake, if that’s the actual wording [of the clause], because why hasn’t he got Ferrari in there?
“Imagine if Lewis stops after one year for whatever reason and a Ferrari seat’s available.
“Imagine if Carlos Sainz has just re-signed for Williams because he’s just finished second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, and he loves the team, and then a week later there’s a seat at Ferrari available and Ferrari are on the phone saying: ‘Carlos, come back! We love you, come back!’
“What happens then?
“Why hasn’t he got Ferrari in there? Why is he only thinking Red Bull and Mercedes?
“Or is he so annoyed with Ferrari that he’d never want to drive for them instead?”
Read more: Big Carlos Sainz ‘mistake’ identified amid special Williams contract clause rumours
Paul Monaghan: Red Bull ‘feels like home’
Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan recently put pen to paper on a new deal with the World Champions, and said he didn’t see the grass as being greener elsewhere as he approaches almost two decades of work with the Milton Keynes-based squad.
Asked by PlanetF1.com about why he still has the desire to continue working with Red Bull after so long, Monaghan said he felt the team has become “home”.
With Red Bull set to become fully independent as an F1 and power unit manufacturer as its home-grown Red Bull Power Trains programme begins production, Monaghan said he couldn’t imagine leaving “home” to not see that transition through.
“You look at what’s coming over the next few years and the people I know… faces come and go, but it’s kind of become home, hasn’t it?” he said.
“2026, we’re autonomous, aren’t we? What an opportunity! What a wonderful investment that Red Bull is making…for us to do our own engine? It’s mad, isn’t it, but brilliant!”
Read more: ‘It feels like home’ – Senior Red Bull figure opens up on new F1 contract extension
Eddie Jordan: Lewis Hamilton back to his best
Having taken two wins in the last three races, ending a 56-race spell without victory, Lewis Hamilton is back to his best, according to former F1 boss Eddie Jordan.
Discussing Hamilton’s form with Formula For Success podcast partner David Coulthard, Jordan agreed with Coulthard that Hamilton had appeared to have his mind on his upcoming move to Ferrari during the early part of 2024 but is now fully focused on delivering the goods for Mercedes to end his tenure at Brackley.
“Lewis, I think at the beginning of the year he was without any doubt pretty much focused on joining Ferrari, getting the right people, and making sure that he had Fred Vasseur on board,” Jordan said.
“Ferrari, they’re going to be a big team next year and they will be overjoyed to see the re-emergence of Lewis because no amount of saying to Ferrari, ‘Say look what we’re doing at Mercedes, don’t worry about that, we can beat George, we can beat everyone, we’re going to be powerful’.
“And that Mercedes team is going to be strong going forward but Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong.
“I think Lewis is right back on his game. And he’s now eyeing up a championship fight for next year. And who’s to say that he’s wrong.”
Read more: Lewis Hamilton declared ‘right back on his game’ as Eddie Jordan raises Ferrari theory
Angela Cullen reveals retiring from motorsport before IndyCar call
Speaking to the IndyCar YouTube channel, Lewis Hamilton’s former physio Angela Cullen has revealed how she had to go through a baptism of fire when she arrived in F1 with Hamilton before deciding to retire from motorsport after she and Hamilton parted ways.
But a chance connection with Marcus Armstrong has resulted in Armstrong making the switch to IndyCar – an environment she’s now loving.
“He said, ‘Do you want to come to a race?’ and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’d love to come out’,” she said.
“Oh my God, like IndyCar just hit me, it is so much fun, and I just fell in love with it.
“The racing is incredible, the drivers are incredible, I was overwhelmed by the expertise of everyone in the paddock. So I arrived, and I haven’t left.”
