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Carlos Sainz claimed that all teams are being considered when asked if Audi was a viable option for 2025 and beyond. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda ahead of the 2024 Chinese GP, the Ferrari driver shed light on the potential options that are available for negotiation at the moment.
Being a free agent next year and having won a race after an appendix surgery, Carlos Sainz's availability as a driver has put many teams and drivers in a difficult spot. His current form is reportedly pressuring the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing while newcomers Audi, who will make their debut as a factory outfit by acquiring Sauber, are speculated to have offered him a long-term deal. His form in a way has brought silly season early, given that it is a long 24-race calendar.
Four races into the season, both Toto Wolff and Christian Horner have been adamant about taking their time to consider their options, which means a wait for the 29-year-old for his preferred choices as opposed to Audi who reportedly seek him long term. Given the engine regulations overhaul in 2026, the viable options on the grid will be the engine manufacturer teams.
Asked by Sportskeeda if Audi was a more viable and stable option given the regulations overhaul in 2026, Carlos Sainz said:
“All the options are viable ones right now for me because I don't have an ideal (option) for next year. So I need to consider all the options. And yeah given the huge regulations change in 2026, I consider ‘26 to be like a coin toss. It's impossible to know right now who is going to get it right for ‘26. So even when I take the decision for where am I going to be for 2026/27, doesn’t matter how much you talk to teams, how much they sell you how good they are doing with the engine, the reality no one knows.”
“If someone wins in ‘26, my opinion is it is not because of smart decision making but because you’ve just been at the right place at the right time. Regarding ‘25, for sure my opinion is with the level I am showing and with the way I am driving now. Obviously being in a competitive car would be very appealing for me. Again it doesn’t depend on me and I need to keep waiting.”
Carlos Sainz admits talking to most of the teams on the grid for the 2025 season
With Red Bull and Mercedes reportedly being his primary targets for a drive in 2025 given his need for a competitive car, Carlos Sainz is not yet discounting Audi whom he has been linked heavily to as well. According to Helmut Marko’s statements in Japan, the German engine maker is too new to the game to pressure the driver market this early in the season.
The Red Bull senior advisor also admitted that the Spanish race winner has had a ‘lucrative’ offer from a team for 2025 and beyond. Without naming any names, the Ferrari driver mentioned to the broadcast media that all the front runners and potentially lucrative offers were being considered.
Bearing in mind that Red Bull and Mercedes could sign him on a one-year deal or a short-term contract, Audi could be a potentially long-term option for the Spaniard.
Asked about the options open to him at the moment, including Audi with whom he has been heavily linked, Carlos Sainz said:
“Without talking about names, because I don't want them to be put in the headline of the name that Carlos says this or that. When I said we’ve been talking to every team I think you can understand that we’ve been talking to every team, and every team is every team. So that's what I meant in terms of good options in terms of race winning and also front cars are still there. And I can as I said before, it all depends on the compromises of the offers and what everyone offers.”
Shedding more light on his future options, Carlos Sainz said:
“There's very good options out there, which makes me still smile and be positive about my future. At the same time, I know some of those options don't fully depend on me, it depends on some people taking decisions, which means I need to wait in a way and keep doing what I'm doing. Things will hopefully be designed sooner rather than later, and if later it's still good, I'll be happy to wait.”
Acknowledging the waiting period involved before his future is decided, Carlos Sainz was understanding of the fact that the top teams had to take time to assess their options and make a decision.
As it stands, former world champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have signed their contracts, possibly the final ones of their career. But many other competitive drivers remain on the market with equally competitive resumes who are being pressured into making their case soon with their performances.
Given the fact that not even a quarter of the calendar is through, it remains to be seen if Carlos Sainz's new deal gets signed within the first half of the season.
