By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
Carlos Sainz Jr. will return to Scuderia Toro Rosso next season, Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner confirmed.
Sainz was overlooked for a promotion to Red Bull in favor of teammate Max Verstappen when the team demoted Daniil Kvyat to Toro Rosso. Since then, the Spaniard has impressed enough to warrant a rare third-year with the team and thus ending any speculation about his future.
“We took up his option earlier this week, so he’s committed to Red Bull for the next 12 months,” Horner said. “As with all the drivers, they are committed to Red Bull Racing and we have the ability to place them where we want. He is currently at Toro Rosso, which is where we expect him to be next year.
“We had until the end of the year to take up the option and we chose to do it early to put his mind at rest.”
Horner also mentioned that he would “be surprised” if Kvyat wasn’t alongside Sainz at Toro Rosso. Additionally, both Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen are under contract with Red Bull for 2017.
