Toro Rosso tipped to announce Sainz this week (2nd Update)
11/27/14 (GMM) Red Bull will announce the identity of Jean-Eric Vergne's successor at the junior team Toro Rosso in the coming days.
24-year-old Vergne, the Faenza based team's driver for the past three seasons, revealed on Wednesday that he will not be rookie Max Verstappen's teammate in 2015.
The big favorite to replace him is Spanish rookie Carlos Sainz Jr, the new Formula Renault 3.5 champion whose father and namesake is the world rally legend.
That is despite Dutch 17-year-old Verstappen saying recently that he would prefer to be paired with the more experienced Vergne for his debut F1 season.
But Verstappen has now told Spain's AS newspaper: "I heard something that it could be Carlos, but in the end it will be Red Bull that decides and I just have to focus on my work.
"It's good to have someone experienced beside you, but I trust the people here," he added.
"I spoke with Carlos here (in Abu Dhabi) — he's a very nice guy. Whether he will be my teammate or not I don't know but we would work well together," said Verstappen.
Dr Helmut Marko, the official in charge of Red Bull's driver program, told the Swiss newspaper Blick that Verstappen's teammate will be unveiled on 1 December.
"Turn on (Austrian broadcaster) Servus TV on Monday. The driver will be on the formula one show," he said, apparently referring to the Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7 program.
11/24/14
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| Carlos Sainz Jr. |
(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. could be unveiled within days as Toro Rosso's new driver for 2015.
That is the claim of the Spanish sports daily Marca, following reports in Abu Dhabi at the weekend that Jean-Eric Vergne now seems resigned to leaving Faenza after three full seasons with the Red Bull-owned junior team.
Marca said the probability is now "99 per cent" that 20-year-old new Formula Renault 3.5 champion and Spaniard Sainz will be teenager Max Verstappen's teammate.
"The announcement could even take place this week," added the newspaper.
Marca said Sainz, whose father is the well-known world rally legend of the same name, will touch down in Abu Dhabi on Monday where he will test in the coming days for Red Bull.
Sainz snr is tipped to be travelling with him.
In their pocket could be a new sponsor for Toro Rosso, with the team's existing Spanish backer Cepsa said to be departing, the newspaper reported.