F1 pundit and former Ferrari engineer Ernest Knoors claims that Max Verstappen would not be “eager” to work with Carlos Sainz again at Red Bull.

Verstappen and Sainz were rookies at Torro Rosso together but with the Ferrari man out of contract at the end of the season, the three-time champion seemingly won’t want Red Bull to extend an offer.

“I think this is a very interesting one,” Knoors told Motorsport.com. “I think you also have to see this a bit in Christian Horner and the power struggle with Helmut Marko, and Red Bull Thailand and Red Bull Austria.

“If Christian feels Max Verstappen and Jos Verstappen and camp Helmut Marko are putting a bit of pressure on him, then you could say: ‘Well, someone like Carlos Sainz. If I bring that in, then I have someone with whom I can potentially become champion.’

“That’s what he would think, and then it would actually increase the pressure on Max. I don’t really think Max is eager to have Carlos Sainz as a team-mate. I think there’s a lot of politics involved in that, and Christian is obviously very smart politically.”

“I don’t think it would be the best choice or the most obvious choice as Max’s teammate, but if Max would really actually say, ‘I’m going somewhere else’, with Carlos Sainz you will have a very good driver.

“You can force something on Max with this. It is a politically charged season though.”