Carlos Sainz is now a hot topic among a growing list of Formula 1 teams eyeing him for the 2025 season.
At 29, the Spanish driver finds himself - in his own words - "still without a job for next year" following Ferrari's decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton as his replacement. Yet, Sainz showcased his worth by clinching the Australian GP on Sunday, a remarkable achievement especially considering his recent recovery from an appendix operation.
"That was the best possible job application, if that's what he needed," observed ex-Red Bull racer Robert Doornbos during the Ziggo Sport broadcast of the Melbourne event.
Sainz echoed this sentiment: "For sure it does no harm, but I think everyone already knows more or less what I'm capable of. I don't race to prove something to team principals, or prove to people my value."
His prowess was on full display when he impressively overtook Max Verstappen before the latter's Red Bull succumbed to an early brake malfunction and fire. "A pity," Sainz remarked about Verstappen's first withdrawal in two years, "because I think we would have had a good fight for P1 today."
Doornbos further praised Sainz: "Let's also not forget that he was on the way to pole position and only lost it with a mistake in the last few corners."
Despite being the sole non-Red Bull driver to outpace Verstappen throughout 2023 and into 2024, some think Sainz's skills often go underappreciated.
But Charles Leclerc, his teammate at Ferrari, isn't overly concerned about Sainz's prospects, confident that "for sure" discussions with several teams are already happening.
Speculation is rife about Sainz filling the vacancy left by Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, along with potential moves to Sauber - which is transitioning to Audi by 2026 - and Aston Martin.
"I don't think he will go to Red Bull," commented former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde on Viaplay. "But if Toto Wolff can't secure Max, I believe he will turn to Sainz."
Given Sainz's past ties with the Red Bull family and basically matching Verstappen's performance during their early days at Toro Rosso, Doornbos sees Sainz as an ideal choice to take over from Sergio Perez.
"Perez was not good today," Doornbos reflected post-race. "I don't think he made an impression on the Red Bull staff, despite a strong start to the season."
And should there be even more significant changes within Red Bull, Sainz emerges as a formidable candidate even to replace Verstappen.
"There will be a domino effect on the driver market, where the key could be an earthquake at Red Bull, even if that's unlikely," Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero told Sky Italia.
"I don't think Carlos will go to Sauber, but there have already been talks with Red Bull, as is normal. But I think his future will be at Aston Martin."
Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, previously favored Daniel Ricciardo for a 2025 comeback but now acknowledges a "very fast driver who won the race today who does not have a contract for next year," adding, "The driver market is naturally picking up now."
"We want the best possible pair of drivers at Red Bull Racing, so sometimes you need to look outside the system for that. Based on today, any possibility cannot be ruled out," Horner concluded.
"We have time. Carlos has had a great start to the season and won the race today, so we won't rush to make a decision."
