Carlos Sainz’s future is still up in the air after Ferrari decided to replace him with Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Ever since the Italian outfit confirmed that they will no longer continue their partnership with the Spaniard after the 2024 season, the 29-year-old has had links with Sauber, which will become Audi’s works team from the 2026 season onwards. However, Sainz’s recent statement can change the probability of him joining Sauber.
As quoted by Junaid, the former McLaren driver said, “Honestly, I have no idea when it will be solved, because right now the only thing we are doing is talking to everyone and seeing a little about the position of each team that is available for the future and seeing what project fits more with my intentions”.
When asked if he would favor a strong car or a team with bright prospects for the future, Sainz replied, “Both things. In the ideal case, I will look to be in a good position, both next year and in the future”.
Since the Spaniard is keen to be in a strong team from the very outset, it is unlikely that he will consider a move to Sauber (later Audi). Although Audi has big plans for the future, they are only likely to reap the rewards in a few years’ time.
However, with Sainz already 29 at the moment, he may not want to wait for much longer before he is in a team that fights for wins consistently. Hence, after leaving Ferrari, Sainz will mostly hope to join a top side like Red Bull or Mercedes, who are likely to remain in the hunt for the championship when the new regulations are introduced in 2026.
Which team will Carlos Sainz mostly join in 2025?
Since Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, one obvious team that Carlos Sainz will most likely consider is the Silver Arrows. Even though the Brackley-based outfit have not managed to win a race in over two seasons now, they are yet likely to be one of the teams that will turn their fortunes around sooner rather than later.
Another potential option that Sainz discussed in his recent interview is the possibility of returning to Red Bull. With Sergio Perez currently struggling at Red Bull, the Austrian team may consider switching the Mexican with Sainz. Other than these two sides, the #55 driver revealed in the interview that he is not thinking about any other move at the moment.
For the rest of the 2024 season, he made it clear that his sole goal is to do the best he can for Ferrari. Sainz revealed in another interview that he wants to end his partnership with Ferrari on a high by trying his best to fight for the championship.
He revealed that although he wants to win the Drivers’ Championship himself, he made it clear that he has no problems in helping Charles Leclerc if the Monegasque finds himself in a better position for the title. Having said that, Sainz revealed that he would expect a similar helping hand from Leclerc if he is in a better position to fight for the title.
