A Sainz move to Red Bull would theoretically have solved three teams' issues in one fell swoop. For Red Bull themselves, it would give them a reliable second driver alongside Verstappen who would surely qualify far more closely to him and be much more useful strategically during races.

If you follow Formula 1—or just happen to stray a little too close to the motorsport fanatic sphere—then you know Red Bull Racing and its junior team, VCARB, have been the center of the gossip mill regarding mid-season driver swaps.

Max Verstappen lost 10 points to Lando Norris at the Mexico GP, raising the stakes in an increasingly contentious title battle. Red Bull have made retaining Verstappen’s crown the priority, who have deemed Perez’s output as insufficient to compete in the constructors championship.