Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was a victim of the cruel business side of F1 as his team replaced him with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton overnight. The impending free agent, despite stacking up wins as the only Red Bull driver, remains without a seat for the upcoming season.
That being said, Carlos Sainz is not short of offers. He has drawn the subsequent interest of top leading teams on the grid, including Mercedes, Red Bull, and Audi. While speculations have tied his name to almost every other team, the Spanish driver opened up on his ideal choice in the latest interview.
Carlos Sainz Breaks Silence On Audi Rumors!
The F1 silly season peaked early this year after Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, which left Carlos Sainz without a seat for the 2025 season. Now, rumors suggest that all big teams, including Mercedes and Red Bull, have been in conversation with the Spaniard. While talks with Mercedes stalled due to contract-length negotiations, Red Bull senior Helmut Marko confirmed that his team could not match Audi’s lucrative offer to Sainz. Notably, Sainz has been actively linked to Audi, which is expected to stage a complete takeover of Sauber in 2026. As Marko confirmed, the Spanish driver has apparently been offered a long-term handsome contract by the Audi team, and the impending free agent is inclined to join Audi ahead of his highly anticipated entry into Formula 1.
That being said, Carlos Sainz rejected speculations that he was attracted to Audi. He confirmed that he is looking at every offer carefully to make the right decision. Sainz added that with regulation changes coming up in 2026, he can never be uncertain of which team will crack the engine code. No matter how much any team sells themselves, Sainz can only pick a side and hope for the best. “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,” said Sainz. As far as 2025 is concerned, Carlos wants to be in a competitive car. So the bottom line is that Carlos Sainz wants to be in the front, competing for wins and podium finishes. Hence, whoever promises themselves as potential winners will win over Sainz this year.
Christian Horner Seconds Helmut Marko’s Claims On Negotiations With Sainz!
Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Helmut Marko confirmed that Red Bull has had contract negotiations with Carlos Sainz. However, with Audi leading the pursuit with a lucrative long-term offer, Marko believes his team would be unable to match Audi’s offer to claim Sainz’s service for the 2025 season and beyond.
However, moments after Marko’s statements made headlines, team principal Christian Horner claimed that rumors surrounding Carlos Sainz were purely speculative and had no grounds. “We aren’t in a hurry. Checo has started the season excellently. And it is important for him to maintain that form,” said Horner.
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