Steiner: You don’t have to worry about Sainz’s future

In his column for the official website, former Haas F1 boss Günter Steiner discussed personnel issues in Formula 1…

Günter Steiner: “I have a lot of respect for Sergio Perez, he is a very good driver, but now he cannot match his teammate. Max is on another planet. He has already become one of the greatest of his time, just like Lewis Hamilton a few years ago.

On a wave of success you feel confident and happy with life, but all good things must come to an end – look at Lewis. It is not surprising that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is interested in signing a contract with Max. The question is: will Verstappen leave Red Bull? He’s in a good place now.

Sainz is one of the key figures in the pilot market. He has an option with Sauber: in 2026 this team will change its name to Audi. They really want him, but Carlos won’t rush as long as there are vacancies in strong teams.

Carlos won the race this year and is in excellent form. You can understand why he wants his next project to give him the opportunity to continue in the same vein. Everyone wants to be at Red Bull, but this team is also in no hurry to make a decision, because Perez is doing great. Mercedes is also in no hurry. So Carlos can also wait. He will not remain without a contract. The only question is how good it will be.

His father, Carlos Sainz Sr., will play a major role in determining his son’s future. He is one of the smartest negotiators I know. He’s very good at this. Remember how he helped Carlos get into Formula 1?

He won two World Rally Championships, won the famous Dakar at the age of 60 – he is always in the right car at the right time. He will help his son take his next step so we don’t have to worry about Carlos!

Managers of drivers who no longer have a contract at the end of this season work in the paddock every weekend to gather information. It is very difficult to play this market unless you have a better offer. Teams want the best driver and drivers want the best place.

I always chose those riders I had the chance to get. I never had an open bank account before this, which made life difficult, but I always had an idea of ​​who I would take with me if the best option didn’t work out.

I hate to call it ‘Plan B’, but you have to have options. If there isn’t a better car and more money, you’re not sure you’ll get the driver first on your list.

I am often asked what I do now, if I am not managing the Formula 1 team I will remain involved in the sport, albeit in a different role for the time being. It’s always fun to have people around you who play a big role in this sport, to see what’s going on.

I’m in no hurry to become a team leader again, but I’m always open to a good project. What is a good project? I can’t say it in two words, but sometimes they appear. I am fortunate that I now feel no pressure and can spend much more time with my family.

I am happy that I will be an ambassador for the Miami Grand Prix this year. This is an event I really enjoy working on, in a city that is one of the best in the world.

I have a lot of respect for the theater promoter. Not everything went perfectly the first year, but that is normal. But in the second year there were significant improvements: they followed the advice and did everything better.