After Ferrari extended Charles Leclerc’s contract and decided to take Lewis Hamilton in from 2025, Carlos Sainz’s future looks gloomy. The Spanish driver will be out of the Italian team at the end of the 2024 season and will be a free agent.
However, Sainz will look at options he has on the grid, hoping to find a suitor. The likes of Alpine, Haas, and Williams could have seats open up, but Sainz would want a more competitive seat. On the other hand, McLaren and Red Bull don’t seem to have a spot for him at the moment. Sainz can take his time and assess his options, but where will the Madrid-born driver most likely end up?
Mercedes
Mercedes is the first team that might come to Sainz’s notice as Hamilton’s departure from there leaves a seat vacant. His decision to move to the Silver Arrows will end up being a perfect swap between them and Ferrari.
Furthermore, Sainz’s experience and talent also make him a worthy name to be placed alongside an agile George Russell. However, a lot will depend on how Toto Wolff’s team performs in 2024. Kimi Antonelli is also a name that needs a lot of attention when it comes to the Mercedes seat.
Antonelli is set to make his debut in F2 with Prema Racing this year. He is a notable driver for his title-winning runs in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formula Regional Middle East Championship, etc. The Italian driver has also been associated with the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019.
Therefore, Antonelli is a very serious contender for the Mercedes seat if he manages to win the Formula 2 championship in 2024. It’s important to mention one more name here and that is Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver still looks to be a hot prospect for teams despite being 42 years old.
Aston Martin
As mentioned already, Fernando Alonso might seek a move away from Aston Martin if they fail to provide him with a race-winning car. Therefore, the upcoming season is believed to be instrumental for the British team.
If Alonso moves away from Silverstone, Carlos Sainz will fit perfectly to replace his Spanish compatriot in Lawrence Stroll’s team. On the other hand, Lance Stroll might also surprisingly lose his seat if he keeps on underperforming.
It will not be possible for Stroll Sr. to support his son amid the increasing criticism. Stroll Jr. needs to deliver and help his team in the Constructors’ championship. Otherwise, the board of directors at the Silverstone-based team might opt to replace Stroll. In that case, Sainz might join the team to make an all-Spanish driver line-up. As for Sainz, he will get to race alongside his inspiration Alonso.
Audi
Audi is all set to enter Formula 1 in 2026. They have already taken over a major part of the Sauber team and will take over the rest in due course. Therefore, Sauber will be rebranded to Audi and will need drivers of caliber to represent them in the most elite form of motorsport.
When it comes to renowned names, Sainz is surely on the top. Furthermore, Sainz also has an advantage at this transfer due to his father Carlos Sainz Sr’s connection with the team. Sainz Sr. races with Audi Motorsport in the Dakar Rally, and won a race with them recently. Therefore, the veteran racing driver can perfectly fit in as a mediator to place his son with the German manufacturers.
In this case, either Valtteri Bottas or Guanyu Zhou might have to leave space for Sainz. Bottas is known for the talent and experience that he gathered in Williams and Mercedes. Whereas, Zhou has enough backing from Chinese sponsorships in the Hinwil-based team.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see who has to give up his seat to make way for the Spaniard.
Worthy mention: Red Bull
Carlos Sainz began his F1 career with Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso. However, he did not get the chance to sit behind the wheel of a Red Bull car. He could get a chance to do this if Sergio Perez leaves at the end of the 2024 season.
Despite this, the Spanish driver ruled out a move to Red Bull, mainly because he does want to be second-fiddle to Max Verstappen.
On the other hand, the Milton-Keynes-based team has also shown their interest in Alex Albon, their former driver. According to Peter Windsor, the Austrian team will try to pull Albon in to drive alongside Verstappen from 2025. Albon is still to reply to this call.
