Red Bull had a supremely dominant season in 2023, winning 21 of the 22 races with the RB19, 19 of them taken by champion Max Verstappen. The Dutchman was untouchable at the start of the year, though the rest of the grid seemed to catch up in the latter half.

Red Bull stopped developing their car halfway through the season to focus on their 2024 challenger RB20, giving the rest of the field an advantage. However, Carlos Sainz believes the Milton Keyes-based team was holding back from hiding their true dominance for a competitive advantage in the upcoming campaigns.

I think there have been races in which Verstappen and Red Bull have held back a little and have not given 100%. Theory and logic say that we should be increasingly equal.

Carlos Sainz said, via Albert Fabrega.

Sainz was the only man to stop Red Bull from completing a clean sweep in 2023; a feat never achieved before. The Spaniard expertly maneuvered the SF-23 to victory in an extremely close, dramatic finish. The race did not see either Red Bull finish in the top three for the only time in the season.

Carlos Sainz claims he is willing to complete his career with Ferrari

Carlos Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 to partner Charles Leclerc, replacing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel. The Spaniard joined the team following a successful stint with McLaren, nearly winning the Italian Grand Prix the previous year. 

Sainz was outperformed by teammate Charles Leclerc in 2022, inciting rumors that he would be the second driver in 2023. However, under equal treatment by Fred Vasseur, the Spaniard was nearly equal to Leclerc, only a handful of points behind. Sainz has said that he doesn’t mind spending the rest of his career with Ferrari, where is very content right now.

I am so happy at Ferrari and so happy to be part of this team that, at the moment, I don’t see an expiration date. I hope I have many, many more years ahead of me and I wouldn’t mind having them all in red. 

Carlos Sainz may not see this dream come to fruition though, as complications with Ferrari regarding a contract extension are hindering it. The two-time race winner is being denied his request for an extension till at least the end of 2025, though Leclerc has reportedly been signed for four years beyond that.

In case you missed it:

• Max Verstappen’s race engineer pinpoints the ‘turning point’ in the Dutchman’s F1 career
• Carlos Sainz claims he sees himself providing his services to Ferrari for ‘many more years’

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