Faced with the idea of recreating an iconic karting race featuring the current F1 stars, Carlos Sainz said the drivers of today would not have the time. Well, everyone except Max Verstappen.
According to Sainz, the only driver who could commit to such an event would be Verstappen. As per Sainz, Verstappen has it “written into his contracts” at Red Bull that he will not do marketing and interviews.
Unique Max Verstappen Red Bull clause claimed by Carlos Sainz
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Verstappen has, in recent years, ramped up his schedule outside of Formula 1 in the world of GT racing. That included making his debut in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May.
Lance Stroll made his GT3 debut during the April F1 break, but generally, full-time F1 drivers do not often race in other categories.
But it has been suggested by Sainz that Verstappen’s Red Bull contract allows him more spare time.
The details of a driver contract are rarely made public. It is even rarer for drivers to talk about the contract of another driver.
But, as per Sainz’s unverified claim, Verstappen is contractually exempt from some of the additional marketing and media commitments, which can be time-consuming for drivers on top of their race weekend activities.
Sainz, during a Mundo Deportivo interview, quipped that he would win a karting race between the current F1 class. He was reminded of the old Elf Masters indoor karting competition, featuring the F1 stars, which ran between 1993-2011.
According to Sainz, the current schedule that comes with being an F1 driver means they would not be able to compete in an annual event like that these days.
That does not apply to Verstappen, says Sainz.
“I think that in a 24-race championship, with all the marketing and interviews we do, that’s impossible. No driver could manage it.
“Well… Max would be the only one, because he’s the only one who doesn’t do marketing or interviews – he has it written into his contracts, he can afford to do so, and Red Bull accepts it.
“As for the rest of us, we simply don’t have the time or the free capacity to put our energy into a race like that.”
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Sainz and his Williams team have endured a challenging start to F1 2026. The same could be said for Verstappen and Red Bull.
Williams generated plenty of buzz after its strong 2025 showing ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.
But, Williams has scored just 11 points across the opening seven rounds, six of those scored by Sainz.
Williams team principal James Vowles has insisted that Sainz and Alex Albon remain committed to the Williams project. It has not stopped speculation bubbling up over Sainz’s long-term future with the team.
Sainz was told that Vowles had targeted 2028 for Williams to fight with the top teams.
“I think it’s a realistic goal now, but it’s also true that the step backwards we’ve taken this year may well have delayed that goal by a few months or a year,” Sainz responded.
“I don’t know exactly how much it has delayed it in terms of my own timeline – what I thought this project would take to become a winning team.
“It’s true that last year we were closer to the leaders than expected, and this year further away than expected, so perhaps one thing balances out the other.
“It’s something I’m working on, in my own mind too – how long I’m prepared to wait to win again in Formula 1.
“I want that time to be as short as possible, and that’s why, even though James says 2028, I’m going to push the team to make it happen sooner.”
Sainz is a four-time grand prix winner, all of those achieved during his time at Ferrari.
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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