Former World Champion Backs Carlos Sainz’s Decision of Not Prioritizing Audi Move

Carlos Sainz’s future after his Ferrari exit at the end of the season remains up in the air. Despite constant reports of multiple teams being interested in the Spaniard, nothing concrete seems to come out of his camp. To this, 2009 world champion, Jenson Button feels that Sainz is doing the right thing.

Audi is one of the teams most heavily interested in signing Sainz. They are even ready to offer a multi-year contract to the Madrid-born driver but Sainz doesn’t seem too keen on the move.

️| Jenson Button says Carlos Sainz is doing the right thing by holding out for a move to a top team next year.

“He’s in a position in his career where he’s been around for a little while now.”

“So I think he has to take risks, but I think waiting it out and maybe getting a Red… pic.twitter.com/K6hAAF1Bkl

— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) May 12, 2024

The 29-year-old hasn’t said it out loud, but what he wants to prioritize is a move to a top team. Audi, who will take over Sauber in 2026, cannot guarantee him that. The Hinwil-based outfit is languishing in the bottom of the pile and without any signs that they will improve, Sainz cannot gamble with his future.

Speaking to Sky Sports in Miami, Button insisted that Sainz is at the stage of his career where he needs to take risks.

“He doesn’t want to wait for another 3-4 years to be in a seat at Audi that could be competitive, so I think he’s doing the right thing.”

Despite what Button suggests, however, Sainz is adamant that his future is close to being sorted.

Carlos Sainz on having multiple options in the driver’s market

Mercedes and Red Bull have also reportedly been interested in securing Sainz’s services. The latter, however, seem to be satisfied with formerly under-pressure driver Sergio Perez at the moment. So, unless the Mexican driver suffers a massive dip in form, his contract will be renewed.

Mercedes on the other hand are juggling with their short and long-term interests in mind. There is no doubt that Toto Wolff wants 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli to don their overalls, but because of his inexperience, he wants Sainz to fill up the seat for one season.

“My best options are still open in driver market”, Sainz said to Sky Sports.

Sainz, however, is not satisfied with a one-year contract. The only team that is willing to meet his demands – both financially and in terms of contract length – is Audi. Unfortunately, from a sporting point of view, Sainz is not entirely comfortable with that move.