WHAT NEXT FOR SAINZ?
A couple of months ago, Carlos Sainz thought he was negotiating a healthy pay rise and at least a two-year extension to stay at Ferrari beyond 2024. After all, he’d given Charles Leclerc a run for his money during their three seasons together. Maranello management clearly had other ideas. Fortunately for the Spaniard, that sound team-mate comparison should leave him with plenty of options – not least because, as it stands, 13 seats will be up for grabs come 2025.
Alpine, Williams, RB and Haas are yet to lock in either of their drivers but are likely the least appealing options. Towards the other end of the grid, Sainz is now acutely aware that Mercedes is short of a driver. So, he could hop on the reverse flight to Hamilton to shake Toto Wolff’s hand. While George Russell is clearly Merc’s next Formula 1 posterchild, and Sainz would have to make do with being overshadowed yet again, there’s every indication that this would be an intelligent, wellmatched partnership. Sainz would back himself to pass muster.
That said, this saga has proved that F1 driver contracts aren’t watertight. The Three-pointed Star could make an optimistic play for
Lando Norris or Leclerc in a bid to retain a blockbuster line-up. But they remain unlikely, and Wolff’s teaser that his team “has a chance to do something bold” could indicate a promotion for junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 17-year-old won the Italian and German F4 titles in 2022 before claiming the Formula Regional European crown last season. He will contest F2 for Prema Racing in 2024. Wolff says that Antonelli must focus solely on that, so there’s little to be gained by distracting him with rumours of a hasty F1 promotion. Sainz could be a placeholder until the golden child is finally ready.
Alex Albon, 27, is entering his peak years and is out of contract at the end of next year. With his F1 career rehabilitated at Williams, the Thai-brit openly says he now wants to fight at the front. He’s fast, mature, pally with Russell and no stranger to rebuilding a grand prix team. Less likely, Wolff could rekindle his relationship with former Mercedes protege Esteban Ocon.
The Alpine driver boasts a 2021 Hungarian GP win, although it’s not known how highly Brackley values his stock. Then consider Fernando Alonso. He would tick that “bold” criterion, will be a free agent, and would start the 2025 season a youthful 43 years old.
That would create space at Aston Martin for Sainz. Alternatively, he could become the lynchpin around which Audi builds. Moving to the German manufacturer is now that bit more poetic thanks to Carlos Sainz Sr bagging the marque’s first Dakar Rally victory last month. As that off-road programme is killed off to dedicate resources to the nascent F1 project, his son could pick up the Ingolstadt baton.