General
Why Sainz should sign with Audi immediately after Alonso news
- Ludo van Denderen
Carlos Sainz is probably having his best season in Formula 1. The Ferrari has finished on the podium in all three races he started in 2024. The 29-year-old even won the Australian Grand Prix. Yet Sainz does not have a seat in Formula 1 for 2025 and beyond. In fact, should Sainz overplay his hand in the coming weeks, there may be no place for him in F1.
After his forced departure from Ferrari - where Lewis Hamilton took over his place in 2025 - Sainz seems a sought-after free agent. In reality, that is not quite so bad. Sainz is cautiously mentioned at Red Bull Racing, just as Mercedes have him on the radar. Yet the only serious, concrete option for Sainz at the moment is Audi, currently racing as Stake F1. It is no secret that the Germans see Sainz as the perfect man to debut with in Formula 1 as a factory team in 2026.
Sainz with Sauber at the back?
One drawback: if Sainz opts for an adventure with Audi - the team with which his father won the Dakar rally - then the plan is for him to take a seat in Audi's predecessors in 2025. It is easy to imagine that moving from a race-winning car to the ailing Sauber is not attractive for Sainz. Almost certainly, in that case, a frustrating season at the back awaits him.
It is, therefore, completely understandable that Sainz is trying to keep his options open for the time being. After all, what if Max Verstappen still leaves Red Bull Racing? Will there then be an opportunity there? And what if Andrea Kimi Antonelli does not impress enough in his F2 season after all, and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff still wants a seasoned driver in his car? The route to Aston Martin has been cut off since Thursday after Fernando Alonso extended his commitment, and Lance Stroll is unchallenged, thanks to his father.
'Audi wants clarity from Sainz soon'
The ideal scenario for Sainz is probably not to respond too quickly to Audi's advances, see how things go at Red Bull and Mercedes first, and then possibly still sign with the German debutant. Only Audi doesn't want to wait much longer. While the German manufacturer is building a strong team, they wants to fix the key positions as soon as possible. Filling the drivers is certainly part of that. Sainz reportedly has to give the final decision this month: will he or won't he? So that puts Sainz in what seems like a quandary: on the one hand, he might be hoping for another top team, but then he would have to give Audi a resounding 'no'.
In that case, Sainz is seriously playing with fire. If Red Bull goes ahead with Verstappen and Sergio Perez (currently the most realistic scenario) and Antonelli is put next to George Russell by Wolff, there is no place for Sainz in 2025. So Carlos Sainz faces a choice that really shouldn't be one: saying 'yes' to Audi as soon as possible is the wisest thing the Spaniard can do right now. He could risk sitting on the sidelines if he does not sign there.