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According to the latest reports, Carlos Sainz is yet to sign a contract for the 2025 season. The Ferrari driver remains the hottest prospect in the current driver market, with several options at his disposal. Despite that, he has reportedly not signed any contract so far.
After Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and beyond, Carlos Sainz knew his time at Maranello was over. From there on, the Spanish driver made it to the headlines multiple times because of his rumored transfer to multiple teams.
From Red Bull, Mercedes to Sauber and most recently to Williams, there were many. Reports touted Sainz as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez at the Milton-Keynes-based team after his not-so-brilliant outing in 2023.
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Besides this, Sainz was also reported to be the candidate for a swap deal with Mercedes. A deal where the Spaniard needed to fill Hamilton's soon-to-be vacant seat at the Silver Arrows.
Furthermore, Carlos Sainz's amicable relationship with Audi also made the 29-year-old a perfect candidate for the Sauber seat for 2025 and beyond. However, Sainz's link to Williams most recently baffled both fans as well as critics.
Citing these links recently, the Prancing Horse star slammed the reports. He also went on to snub the alleged move to the British team.
During the 2024 Canadian GP media session on Thursday, he said: “I've seen reports in the media, I don't know if it's in Spain, people saying I've signed [for Williams]. It makes me laugh but sometimes this goes a bit unpunished in a way for some media persons."
Where can Carlos Sainz end up in 2024?
Carlos Sainz, unfortunately, does not have any options in the top teams for the next season. While McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Red Bull have cemented their driver duos for next season, Mercedes remains tight-lipped.
Toto Wolff's team's priority to replace Hamilton was Max Verstappen. If that does not happen, chances are Wolff might make a move for Alpine star Esteban Ocon or Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli.
Furthermore, Sainz is unlikely to move to strugglers Alpine and Haas in the prime of his career. With this, a move to RB could also be off the table because of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo.
This leaves Carlos Sainz with the Sauber and Williams opportunities only. Both teams have one driver signed for next year, Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon, respectively. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what path the Madrid-born driver chooses next.
