Carlos Sainz‘s contract with Ferrari runs out in six months, and with Lewis Hamilton coming in, the Italian team revealed at the start of the year that he won’t continue with his Maranello stint. So far, his future remains in the air, but a proven race winner like Sainz should not have a lot of trouble finding a seat. At the same time, the grid currently looks too clammed up for Sainz to feel comfortable.
Sainz had multiple options to choose from including Aston Martin and Red Bull. But slowly, all those teams started locking their line-ups in for the upcoming campaign. As such, he wants to finish this ordeal as soon as possible.
As quoted by Soymotor, he said,
“I have my options on the table. I’m going to make the decision soon, I want to get it out of my hands and stop thinking. There is not one option, there are several. All the teams that do not have a driver, I am on their list. I have offers, but I am not going to sign tomorrow. I’ll think about the next team. I have a car to win and I want to focus on it.”
Carlos Sainz: “Tengo varias opciones encima de la mesa y la decisión la voy a tomar pronto”https://t.co/6W9Hv4h71d
— SoyMotor.com (@SoyMotor) June 17, 2024
Sainz’s biggest priority is longevity in his contract. He wants a sense of security because, at the age of 29, his focus would be to continue driving in F1 for as long as possible. He is ambitious and wants a team that can reciprocate his needs on all fronts.
Sainz’s options, however, have thinned down. Mercedes has moved on from Sainz because they want Kimi Antonelli in the seat shortly. Red Bull wants to go ahead with Sergio Perez and Aston Martin has secured a two-year extension with Fernando Alonso. The struggling teams on the grid, however, are still all for signing the Madrid-born driver.
Audi (now Sauber) wants the Spaniard to be the face of its new project when it enters F1 in 2026. Meanwhile, Williams – a team that has fallen from grace – looks to be the new favorite to land Sainz’s signature.
Williams becomes the favorite to sign Carlos Sainz
Audi was a heavy favorite to sign Sainz, even before his Ferrari exit was confirmed. The German team also offered him a three-year deal and an enterprising project that could see them compete at the front end of the grid in the future. Williams, however, came in with its offer and changed the picture.
Williams, which was once a Championship-winning outfit, has been dwindling in the back end of the grid for far too long. But with James Vowles as team principal, the Grove-based outfit looks to return to the top once again. It is also what made star driver Alex Albon extend his deal with Williams, and the same dream is being sold to Sainz.
The regulation changes are also set to come into effect in 2026. And Williams is better positioned to be more competitive than Audi. That, in addition to a long-term contract, could be the decisive factor that could make him lean towards signing for Williams. But what he decides, only time will tell.
