Helmut Marko U-turn as major Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc Ferrari verdict cast

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko believes Carlos Sainz is now performing at a higher level than Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Sainz is just four points behind Leclerc in the F1 2024 Drivers’ Championship, despite missing the second race of the season, having outperformed the Monegasque in the last two race weekends.

Helmut Marko: Last year Leclerc, this year Sainz

Sainz lost his drive with Ferrari over the winter, with the Spaniard set to be replaced by Lewis Hamilton for F1 2025 as the Scuderia have managed to tempt the seven-time F1 World Champion to leave Mercedes after more than a decade.

With Sainz scrambling for employment elsewhere, his form – already impressive in F1 2023 – has stepped up another gear as he has beaten Leclerc in all three race weekends the pair have competed against each other.

Sainz missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to needing surgery to remove his appendix but, with third place in Bahrain and Japan, and a win in Australia, he is just four points behind Leclerc despite the Monegasque scoring 16 points in Jeddah in Sainz’s absence.

Such form has caught Marko’s eye, with the Austrian provoking headlines of his own after being spotted with Sainz on several occasions at Suzuka – including a moment where the pair shook hands in the paddock.

Speaking to Austrian publication OE24, Marko was full of praise for Sainz as he spoke of the Spaniard’s current form.

“Sainz is a strong character, ambitious and highly motivated,” he said.

“Firstly because of the sacking at Ferrari and, secondly, because of the appendix effect.

“Everything fits together at the moment, he’s on an incredible high.”

Asked outright which of the Ferrari drivers – Leclerc or Sainz – Marko believes to be better at this moment in time, Marko was firm: “Last year it was certainly Leclerc, but now I would say it’s definitely Sainz.”

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Helmut Marko: Carlos Sainz ‘a name to consider’

Sainz appears to be a top contender for the unconfirmed second seat at Red Bull, with team boss Christian Horner labelling the Ferrari driver as Red Bull’s “nemesis” and admitting Sainz is a name that could be evaluated.

“We want to field the best pairing we can with Red Bull Racing so, sometimes, you got to look outside the pool as well,” Horner said after Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix.

“The market is reasonably fluid in certain parts.

“I mean, based on a performance like that, you couldn’t rule any possibility out.”

Sainz, who was backed by Red Bull in his junior career and made his debut with Toro Rosso 10 years ago, is a “name to consider”, according to Marko, but said the team is in no rush to make a decision.

“Normally we don’t talk about driver decisions at all in April, but somehow the whole thing seems to have moved forward a lot,” he said.

“But it’s still too early for us, we will certainly wait some time before we make a decision.”

However, Sainz is competing with incumbent Sergio Perez over the cockpit, and the Mexican is laying out a strong argument to be kept on for F1 2025 as he’s claimed three second-places and an aero-compromised fifth place to kick off his season – exactly the type of results he needs to be re-signed.

With Perez claiming it’s just a “matter of time” before talks are opened with Red Bull over a new deal, Marko believes Perez is digging deep in his determination to secure a new deal.

“You can see that he can do it,” Marko said.

“But perhaps the fact that next year’s contracts are at stake also plays a role, much earlier than usual this season.

“That also seems to be very motivating.”