Following Carlos Sainz Jr's Formula 1 prospects during 2014 has been a rollercoaster ride, and thankfully it has ended with Red Bull taking the correct decision to place him with Toro Rosso for next year.
The simple fact that he became the first Red Bull-backed driver to win the Formula Renault 3.5 series - which so many of the Austrian firm's young charges have passed through over the years - gave him a very strong case immediately.
In the early part of 2014 it seemed a no-brainer: Sainz was dominating the FR3.5 title fight, winning four of the first seven races.