Carlos Sainz’s suitability as a “No2” driver c♒ould cost him a Red Bull move, Damon Hill says.

Sainz has no drive secured for 2025, whe♔n he will be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull will also have a vacancy unless they opt to give Sergio Perez a new contrac🐽t.

“It would be a travesty if Carlos doesn’t find himself in🐷 a front-running team next year,” ex-F1 champ Hill told Sky Sports.

“He deserves to be in a t🍰op team. He’s running ☂at the front.

“What’s available? Mercedes is the obvious one.

“Red Bu♊ll? I can’t seౠe how that works, with Max there.

“The team🔯 is run by the Verstappen family, isn’t it? It is basiꦚcally their team.

“I can’t see how they will allow anyone…

“Unless he is prepared to be a good No2.

“But, then, Checo is doing a very ꦺgood job there, doing that role.”

The delicate 🃏nature of being a No2 driver might be the key crit🐼eria for Red Bull to decide Verstappen’s teammate next year.

Perez, this year, has done a stellar job by finishing three outꦚ of four grands prix in P2 behind Verstappen, delivering Red Bull their ꦕdream result.

But the past two grands prix won by a non-Red Bull driver have both been won by Ferrari൲’s Sainz.

He has also overcome appendix surgery, which meant he skipped one round this 🅠year, to win in Australia and 🌼finish on the podium in Japan.

Ferrari, with Sainz and Charles Leclerc, do not operate with a policy of a 𒈔No1 and a No2 driver.

But at Red Bull iওt is clear 🦹that Verstappen is the top man. And they might have doubts about whether Sainz will accept playing second-fiddle.