Zak Brown leaving the door open for Carlos Sainz to return to McLaren
McLaren would welcome Carlos Sainz back to the team in the future, according to Zak Brown.
McLaren Racing chief Zak Brown is leaving the door open for Carlos Sainz to return to the team, should a vacancy open up in the future.
McLaren has a long-term contract with Lando Norris until the end of the 2027 season, while the team also locked down Oscar Piastri with a new multi-year deal last month.
The British outfit is happy with its existing line-up, with Piastri leading the championship by 10 points from Norris after the opening five rounds of the season.
However, Brown said current Williams driver Sainz would be a contender for a McLaren seat if the team ends up parting with Norris or Piastri for any reason.
The Spaniard previously raced for McLaren while it was a Renault engine customer in 2019-20, scoring podiums in Brazil and Italy and developing a harmonious relationship with then-teammate Norris.
“If we had an open seat, of course, we would consider Carlos,” he told Marca.
“But, right now, we have Lando and Oscar under contract for several years, but if for some reason the situation changes and Carlos is available… I have his phone number in my address book.”
Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 after leaving McLaren, scoring four grand prix victories and helping the Prancing Horse secure second in the championship in both 2022 and 2024.
However, Ferrari elected to bring in seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to the team this year, with Sainz having to make way for the Briton.
The 30-year-old subsequently inked a long-term partnership with Williams, pairing up with Alex Albon.
Asked if he would have made the same decision if a star driver like Hamilton was available, Brown said: “It’s not as simple as that, there are a lot of dynamics around it that play a role.
“Lewis is a seven-time champion and there are not many occasions when you can have a sportsman like that in your team.
“But, at the same time, Carlos was amazing with us, a good friend, a great driver. Luckily, I didn’t find myself in the situation where I had to make that decision.”
