Audi is the only realistic option for Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz is probably one of the most talked about drivers in F1 at the moment. His contract with Ferrari expires at the end of the season, and unlike his teammate Charles Leclerc, who has signed a multiple-year deal with the team, the Spaniard will have to find a new home for 2025.

Charles Leclerc will be partnered with Lewis Hamilton in 2025, as the current Mercedes driver announced early in the season that he would be switching camps.

In the first four races of the season, Carlos Sainz has done everything possible to further his case as a driver in one of the top seats on the grid. His name has been linked with multiple teams, and for now, quite a few of them have vacancies.

A race winner already this season, Carlos Sainz is a hit property in F1 at the moment. Having said that, at this stage, it does appear that a partnership with Audi is the likeliest of options for him.

Why? Because the other options might not be the most compatible with what he wants to do in his career. Let's take a look.

Possible options for Carlos Sainz

Mercedes

Mercedes is in a major quandary ever since Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving the team at the end of the year. On one side, Toto Wolff is openly courting Max Verstappen, on the other, Kimi Antonelli, the star of the future, is also supposed to be in contention for the seat.

By the looks of it, if Max Verstappen declines the advances from Toto Wolff, and Mercedes wants to give Kimi Antonelli a year in another car (possibly Williams) to learn the ropes, a seat could open for the short term.

That's the issue though for Carlos Sainz, as he would not be interested in a short-term stop-gap contract. This is precisely why it does appear that the Spaniard might not be as good a fit at Mercedes as many have envisioned.

Red Bull

It was a surprise for many when Christian Horner mentioned Carlos Sainz's name out of the blue in Melbourne. Could Red Bull consider Carlos as an alternative to Sergio Perez? It could, but then the team has to look back at the 2015 F1 season when Max Verstappen was teamed up with the Spaniard.

The relationship was frosty at best, and Carlos is not one of the drivers who would willingly step aside for Max Verstappen during a race and let him score the most points in a championship battle.

What Red Bull wants is a pliable second driver who compliments Max Verstappen, not opposes him and Carlos Sainz does not fit that criteria.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin could be a contender when it comes to securing Carlos Sainz's services but it would only happen if the team was finally willing to benchmark Lance Stroll. The son of the team owner is a major liability for the team, and if the Silverstone-based team wants to win in F1, they need a strong second driver.

The issue, however, could potentially be having a Spanish line-up. Fernando Alonso has still not taken a call on his future and has not decided if he wants to continue racing altogether. Looking at the kind of investments that Aston Martin continues to bring and the way Alonso has continued to race, he's not going anywhere in the near future.

All in all, for Aston Martin, it all hinges on whether Lawrence Stroll wants his son to vacate the seat in a team that was founded to give him a grid slot. Would Lawrence do something like that? It looks highly unlikely at the moment and to add to it, an all-Spanish team might not be desirable for Aston Martin either.

Audi

Finally, the most probable seat for Carlos Sainz would be at Audi. According to multiple reports since the start of the season, the Spaniard has been a driver of interest for the German brand. Andreas Seidl has worked with Carlos as well during his stint at McLaren.

At Audi, the Spaniard is likely to get a long-term contract. He gets to be a part of a team that is serious about winning in F1 and a brand that is iconic in its own right.

Will he have the quality of the team and the car to be a frontrunner from the first race? Possibly not. But over the long haul, the team can be built around him and he can start making progress towards the front of the grid.

Overall, if we evaluate each and every option, it does appear that the best-case scenario for Carlos Sainz is joining the Audi project.