Carlos Sainz’s Confidence Takes Another Hit as He Saw Dwindling Ferrari Future 7 Months Before Lewis Hamilton Takeover

Carlos Sainz’s Confidence Takes Another Hit as He Saw Dwindling Ferrari Future 7 Months Before Lewis Hamilton Takeover

Amid the hubbub of Lewis Hamilton signing for Ferrari and partnering up with Charles Leclerc starting from the 2025 season, Carlos Sainz now stands as a free agent for the forthcoming season. While the bombshell news rocked the entire F1 world, Sainz saw glimpses of him being out of a driving seat nearly seven months ago, as quoted in a report by Autosport.

 


Sainz always wanted to continue his associations with the Ferrari, but there were also rumors of his linkage with Audi for the 2026 season, adding to the chaos around his future. As such, he claimed he wanted to avoid competing in 2024 without knowing where his future lay.

“I’m not going to lie, I don’t like going into my last year of a contract without really knowing where I’m racing the next year. I went through that process both with Red Bull and Renault, and I know it’s not ideal as an athlete, and as a driver.”

Standing as the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023, Sainz had high hopes of securing a long-term deal with the Maranello-based outfit, but he now stands without a driving seat for the 2025 season. Despite the move, the Spanish driver remains committed to his current employers and ascertained to the Tifosi that he shall continue to give his best for the team as long as he stays under their employ.

Where to next for Carlos Sainz?

With several open spots for the 2025 season, there isn’t a shortage of options for Sainz to choose from should he get an offer from everyone. However, there would be certain teams the 29-year-old would want to stay away from. Haas, Alpine, and Williams might have open spots for the outgoing Ferrari driver, but the Spaniard would look for a more competitive seat.

 

Among the likely destinations, the most straightforward option (should all parties agree) would be to join Mercedes and complete the perfect swap. With Hamilton gone, Sainz could pair up well with George Russell. Another destination could be Red Bull, where Sergio Perez‘s exit seems inevitable. Having started his F1 career with Toro Rosso, the switch could be the perfect move, which will also give Red Bull a chance to secure a longer association with their driver lineup.

Stake F1 is another viable option for Sainz, who would want to continue racing until Audi joins the grid. Once the German automakers become a part of the grid, his father’s links with the team might prove to be the key to him unlocking a long-term deal with the team. No matter what happens, fans await to hear a positive decision from Sainz soon and also hope that his new team does not treat him the same way Ferrari did when it came to signing a deal with him.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Carlos Sainz Jr Lewis Hamilton Scuderia Ferrari

About the author

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Naman Gopal Srivastava

Naman is an F1 writer at The SportsRush. Initially a football fanatic who worships Puyol and Leo Messi, Naman soon fell in love with the world of F1 upon reading about Jim Clarke. While the current era drivers do fascinate him, Naman still chooses to idolize Clarke and Ayrton Senna. When he is not busy watching the highlights of some of the greatest races of his idols, Naman can be found scribbling little snippets in his diary of poems or out in the town, exploring new places to eat.

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