Carlos Sainz had the worst possible start to 2024, losing his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton. However, this has not affected the Spaniard’s performance on track. He has already got three podiums including a win in Australia. Still, the improvements Ferrari has made with the SF-24 are giving Sainz mixed feelings. Naturally, he is on good terms with the team but feels sad to leave the Maranello outfit.
Speaking to Sportweek [magzine by Gazzetta] as seen on Instagram, the 29-year-old expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s decision to choose Lewis Hamilton over him. The Italian outfit took this call even before Sainz could make his case in the current season. So, in the conversation, the Spaniard expressed how he feels about his last year with Ferrari.
“Last year at Ferrari? The growth of the single-seater makes me feel happy and sad at the same time because we won’t continue the journey together,” Sainz said. [Translated via Google]
Sainz has been a different person since the 2023 summer break. If it wasn’t for his Singapore GP win, Red Bull would’ve secured a 100% record in the previous season. In fact, in the last two seasons, he is the only driver to beat the mighty Bulls and secure both wins for the Reds. Yet, Ferrari have left him hanging for next year.
However, his efforts are not going to waste. The #55 driver has made himself an attractive option for the entire grid. His availability is not taken lightly, however, he’s stuck with all the available options because of certain complexities of the silly season.
What is keeping Carlos Sainz from securing a drive for 2025 and beyond
Carlos Sainz has options galore as this silliest of silly seasons has the majority of the grid in the mix. Because of this scenario, top teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, and Audi are all in the market. All of the aforementioned teams would be more than happy to give the Madrid-born driver a contract. However, it’s the timeline that is making Sainz’s life difficult.
According to reports, the 29-year-old has a lucrative and long-term offer from Audi. However, because of the team’s uncertain future, Sainz is waiting for offers from the already established teams like Mercedes and Red Bull.
The problem with that is firstly they can’t match Audi’s offer on both monetary and longevity fronts. Secondly, both teams are not in a hurry to decide as opposed to the German outfit.
So, with Audi asking for an answer as soon as possible and the other teams taking their time, the outgoing Ferrari man is split to wait or take the call on his future. He can only stall for so long before now-Sauber shifts their focus elsewhere.
In doing so, he might lose out on a potentially competitive team while waiting for already competitive teams who don’t value him as much. In the end, Sainz wants security, so even though the Audi offer looks to be the right one, something is keeping him from signing.
