This one is becoming a big mouth like his contryman teflonso Marko warns Sainz: Don't bite the hand that feeds you SPIELBERG, Austria -- Helmut Marko has warned Carlos Sainz not to "bite the hand which feeds you" after his comments about his future, suggesting the Spaniard is "confused" about his contractual status with Red Bull. On Thursday in Austria Sainz said it is "unlikely" he will remain at Toro Rosso for a fourth season next year, with the route to Red Bull seemingly blocked by Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. That was met with a frustrated response by senior Red Bull management on Friday, with team boss Christian Horner saying Sainz's comments were "disingenuous" as the company funded much of his junior career before elevating him to Formula One. Horner also insisted Sainz is under contract for another season with Toro Rosso, something Red Bull advisor Marko -- the man who oversees the company's famous driver programme -- agrees with. "I think he's a bit confused," he told Sky Sports News. "I can see it in his driving. He's made some silly mistakes this season already. "The contract is crystal clear. You know in Austria we say 'You don't bite the hands which feeds you'. And it was Mr Mateschitz and me who pushed Sainz into Toro Rosso. Nobody else would give him a chance. "We sent him a letter saying that we take the option, and as far as I know, and as long as I've been in Red Bull, the driver doesn't decide what they're doing with the contract. It's up to the boss, and he makes the decisions. "I think he should focus on driving. The last couple of races, Kvyat always outqualified him. I didn't speak with him yet, so maybe it's a big misunderstanding between Spanish, English and German, or so!"
Yep he's not gone very clever about it. First of all, Red Bull paid his F BMW, F3, GP3, FR3.5 AND his F1 drives. That's many millions of investment on RB's part. To make big statements like he has and the games he plays is already not very smart. But then...lets look at this season: In Bahrain he was pretty silly and steamed into the side of Stroll. Just Dumb. In Canada he thought he was the only man on the grid and took himself out, Massa and ruined Grosjean's race. In Baku he had the audacity to blame Kvyat for coming back on track, himself spinning around. He's not been doing as well as he has been this year, part of this I'm sure is frustration not getting bumped up to the big boy seat. Anyone signing for Red Bull (or any Young Drivers Programme) knows that there are only 2 big boy seats available. To expect RBR to do away with either Ricciardo or Verstappen (2 sensational drivers) is naive at the best of times. If you don't agree that RBR has an option for you that they can exercise (i.e. stop you from driving for another team), don't sign the contract, and raise the money yourself to work yourself to F1 and getting a seat. Good luck. It has to be worth RB's while if Sainz goes somewhere else. If another team purchases him they want to get a return on their investment. The ask for Sainz isn't out there, so they've offered him a seat in STR still. With his recent comments and game playing he could even risk losing the seat altogether, and have no one to blame but himself.
He's clearly not fully schooled in Alonso politicking. If he carries on like this he'll be sitting in a rallycross car for 2018
There are things that a multiple world champion can say that another driver cannot - they simply don't have the intrinsic value or clout to get away with it. Sainz needs to shut up and drive. All the best, Andrew.
The Verstappen to Ferrari story was made up and spread by the Sainz family, according to Dutch commentator Olav Mol. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I am wondering if it's very nice to drive at Red Bull or Toro Rosso with Headmaster Marko trying to squash any dissent. The Red Bull organisation is very ruthless with its drivers, and has the habit of throwing them away without much ceremony; Speed, Bourdais, Luizi, Alguesuira, Vergne, Buemi can testify to that. Sainz has been warned, I think.
It's very simple: Red Bull has paid for the majority of their careers, well before F1. A RBR seat is not guaranteed (and there are only 2 of course!). All young drivers are very much aware that they're not the only candidate on RBR's payroll. They don't have to sign the contract with RBR. RBR simply bankrolls their junior careers, and if you're good enough you'll get to F1. If you impress enough that won't go unnoticed by other teams so you could well move there. If not, there's a number of reasons for it: You're either not good enough, or you're just unlucky that there really aren't any seats out there. There's only 20. If Red Bull offers you a free ride in junior categories you'd be stupid not to take it IMO. Unless you're convinced you can find the funds yourself, of course. The above drivers you named...would they have ever made it to F1 if it wasn't for Red Bull paying their way in the first place? Chances are pretty big others with a thicker wallet would've made it instead. RBR doesn't care if you're rich or poor, they want to find talent. If you don't cut it, you're released. Actually I find that RBR keeps their drivers on quite long: Sainz will be entering his 4th year at STR (certainly had it offered!), Kvyat is with his 4th year in F1 all paid for by Red Bull. Vergne completed 3 years with STR, Ricciardo impressed Red Bull enough to get the big boy seat, Vergne was let go of his contract. He still had 3 years in F1, but failed to impress other teams enough it seems to get a drive elsewhere. Why bother keeping him on? IMO Red Bull's programme is excellent because they offer a full ride, provided you get results (which should be obvious!). You seem to paint them as some sort of evil corporation, as if it should be their duty to hand out incredibly expensive racing seats to every kid that's set foot in a go kart. Most if not all that have been let go have found employment elsewhere in the racing world, and do quite well out of it. Whether it's sportscars, Le Mans, Spaz Chariots racing...they all get paid pretty handsomely for their services still! They could also **** it off altogether and work in an office.
REd Bull found some great talent but also squandered a lot of them, both sainz and Kvyat got the place over Da Costa who was miles better than any of them simply because they both brought a lot of money...but it was a bad decision and i think Markko knows it.
Perhaps a bad decision, but again...only so many seats available. Even though Kvyat brought a sack of Rubles with him, IMO he was very impressive in his first season and also at RBR. Da Costa, whilst a shame he never got to drive in an F1 race, he's still an employed racing driver and RBR has paid for him in a lot of racing series, whose to say he'd even enjoy those if it wasn't for Red Bull? For all we know no one would know his name and he'd be working in an office telling stories that he was a very quick driver...
I thought that was Toro Rosso's reason for existence.. hire the new guy and see if he sinks or swims. If he swims sell his contract. Next. It was never meant to be a career job. There has to be teams like this as ruthless as it sounds. This is CS Jrs second year. He better walk, make that run, on water from now on.
3rd year already. RBR wants to take the option on him for 4th year next season, but if he continues talking like he is he won't...problem is, he likely won't get another drive anywhere anyways because that means paying big money to Red Bull.
Yep, that's why I think this Red Bull organisation looks like a honey trap to me. They hold your life, and they can spat you out when they want.
OK so how about this scenario: options and performance clauses are floating around but not expired - Red Bull ensures it retains Sainz as either a trade or sell or if an RBR driver manages to escape In many ways the silly season has barely begun
Something has to happen. I believe we are going to have a back log of drivers coming into the fray. Throw Pierre Gasly in the cock-pit(back-up) driver. Some other mentions: Leclerc, Latifi, Markelov.
I don't mind all of them staying, provided one other one leaves because his teammate won't move over for him hehehehehe
Why is he jumping the gun? Sainz was looking good before everything is unravelling for him now. This comments make him look even more stupid.
If that's what the young driver believes, don't sign with them and good luck getting to GP3 on their own. Never mind the rest. The drivers Red Bull has sacked early (Speed, Bourdais, Liuzzi) quite simply didn't have the speed, so why bother pumping more money in? Liuzzi was picked up by other teams however, and was let go of his contract. Buemi couldn't get another drive in F1 but went on to race in LMP. Vergne was let go of his contract but couldn't find another drive, he was TD with Ferrari for a while. Only the ones Red Bull value highly (but not high enough to give the top dog drive because those drivers are better) they keep on as insurance, when one of their top drivers leave and they need a replacement.
