Carlos Sainz is arguably the most sought-after racer in the current driver market. The Spanish driver is actively looking for a seat to stay on the F1 grid in 2025 after Ferrari decided to replace him with Lewis Hamilton. Sainz has highlighted that he wishes to drive for a top team and is negotiating accordingly. Reports too suggest that the two teams he may want to secure a deal with are Red Bull and Mercedes. While there is the perennial rumor of Audi wanting the 29-year-old, F1 expert Martin Brundle has suggested that he should not fall prey to that pressure and should “keep his options open” to have a better career trajectory.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Brundle highlighted how Sainz is at the top of his game with the perfect combination of experience and speed. Besides, Brundle also mentioned how the Spaniard still has youth on his side to some extent. Amid all this, the Audi project is not something Sainz may want to take a gamble on, according to Brundle.
Brundle said, “The problem Team Sainz have is that Sauber [to be Audi], putting him under pressure to do a long-term deal”. The Briton thinks that Audi will take time to get competitive with a new team and a new power unit. So, the #55 driver may be “hanging all his chances” on Audi to come good.
Instead, the former McLaren driver stated that Sainz can ignore Audi’s pressure and have three to four great seasons at some other team. However, Brundle doesn’t feel that Mercedes or Red Bull may give in to “that pressure [by Audi] and sign Sainz”.
So, the Sky Sports expert suggested, “My advice to Carlos and his dad would be just [that] things happen very quickly in this business. Two weeks is a very long time in Formula 1. Just keep your options open”.
What are the remaining options for Carlos Sainz?
With Fernando Alonso extending his contract at Aston Martin, Carlos Sainz has limited options currently. The Silverstone outfit was one of the three promising teams with good future prospects from a performance standpoint. Now, with Alonso securing his future there, Sainz has the potential option of signing for either Mercedes or Red Bull.
There have been reports that the Spaniard is close to signing a deal with Mercedes. Corriere dello Sport reported that the Brackley team has offered him a 1+1 year deal. However, many experts feel that Toto Wolff and Co. are keener to promote their academy prodigy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
So, if Mercedes onboard Antonelli, then that may leave Sainz with just one option of returning to Red Bull. The #55 driver has been part of the Red Bull stable, as an Academy driver, and also drove for Toro Rosso [now RB] alongside Max Verstappen in 2015. So, Sainz is familiar with the environment at Red Bull.
However, the way Sergio Perez has started his 2024 season, it seems unlikely that the Milton Keynes team would show him the exit door. Perez is also aiming for a contract extension for next season.
Given the way his 2023 season went, his performances are under the scanner. But, the 34-year-old has not given the Red Bull bosses any chance of complaining so far this year. This is not great news for Sainz, as Perez’s seat is the most likely pathway for him to earn a Red Bull drive.
However, as Brundle said, things can change quite quickly in F1. So, while Mercedes and Red Bull may not be too interested in signing Sainz currently, if either of Antonelli and Perez falter in their respective seasons, then that could create an opening for the Spaniard.
