Sainz and Ferrari fail to reach agreement, Vasseur wants clarity
F1 News
After it was announced that Charles Leclerc had extended his contract at Ferrari, questions soon came up about Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard just cannot come to an agreement on a contract. Sainz wants a longer deal, Ferrari does not want to give him more than just an extra year.
Sainz's contract expires at the end of 2024. To ensure team stability and assure the team stay calm, team principal Fred Vasseur wants both signatures on paper before the first race of the season in Bahrain, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported. So, as mentioned, Sainz is not coming to an agreement with Ferrari over the length of the contract, but salary also seems to be a factor. The Spaniard wants to sign until at least 2026 so he can experience the new rules around power sources at Ferrari. But Ferrari doesn't see that as an option.
Who will be the first driver at Ferrari?
Given that negotiations on Leclerc's contract were completed earlier and relatively quick, you can interpret that there was more priority on Leclerc. That is also how Sainz might see it, and he's not fond of that. Sainz is the last Ferrari driver to win a race. The victory in Singapore will be at the back of Sainz's mind during negotiations.