Carlos Sainz reveals Red Bull ultimatum in 2014: “Win in Formula Renault 3.5, or there’s no place for you in F1”. Carlos Sainz recalled the ultimatum he received from Red Bull in 2014.

Ready for his tenth year in F1
The Australian Grand Prix will mark the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season and the tenth of Carlos Sainz’s career in the sport. After debuting with Toro Rosso in 2015, the Spaniard continued with Renault and McLaren, reaching the highest points of his journey so far with Ferrari, where he raced from 2021 to 2024. Now, the two-time World Rally Champion’s son is entering a new chapter with Williams. However, all these challenges could have taken a completely different turn even before his debut in Formula 1.

The ‘threat’ before his debut
Between 2013 and 2014, Carlos Sainz competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. The dream of a potential Formula 1 debut with Red Bull’s junior squad (then known as Toro Rosso) did not seem out of reach for the Madrid-born driver—at least until the Milton Keynes outfit imposed a harsh condition for him to make the leap to the top tier:

“I remember,” he told Rolling Stone, “that I was getting closer and closer to a seat in Formula 1, and Red Bull told me: ‘Next year will be your last chance. Enter Formula Renault 3.5 and win, or there’s no place for you in Formula 1.’ I was 18 or 19 at the time, so the pressure was really intense, and I realized that maybe I wouldn’t make it.” – the current Williams driver pointed out.

Mission accomplished
Despite the pressure, Carlos Sainz managed to achieve his goal, thanks in part to the support of his father: “I was lucky to have my father, who was already a world champion. At the time, he said, ‘This is what you need if you want to become a world champion.’ Then I won and got into Formula 1.” – the former Ferrari driver concluded.