It’s a shame that Carlos Sainz who, this year, has won a race, scored four podiums and been at times more than a match for one of F1’s premier talents in Charles Leclerc. He more than likely won’t have a competitive seat for 2025 and beyond.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP
No top seat available
Mercedes still has a seat going, although that will likely be taken up by its academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. If not, then whoever has that drive next year is likely a stop gap until he’s promoted in 2026.
Red Bull’s resigning of Pérez on a two-year deal is a surprise, especially given his recent performances. If the announcement was made around the Chinese Grand Prix — when he was backing Verstappen up by finishing on the podium— it would have been considered the natural thing to do.
But the Mexicans performances have dropped off, having been knocked out in Q2 at Imola and then Q1 in Monaco. With the field closing, and McLaren and Ferrari now a threat, it would have perhaps been in Red Bull’s interest to have a more competitive number two driver to back Verstappen up in a fight.
Sainz would fit into that role perfectly. But after he and Verstappen’s tense rookie season as teammates at Toro Rosso in 2015, the Red Bull and Verstappen camps probably weren’t so keen on possibly re-igniting that conflict.
The drivers have moved on, but it’s the parents behind the scenes, waging a political war that isn’t in anyone’s interest. Keeping Pérez at least keeps some level of team harmony.
So where does that leave Sainz? He’s one of the sport’s best drivers at the minute – even if he just falls short of being absolutely devastating like some others in the top seats.
Sauber or Williams?
He’s only left with two realistic options in Sauber – which will become the Audi factory team in 2026 – and Williams.
Audi, have been courting Sainz for a while, and before being linked with Williams looked like his likely destination.
It offers a long-term project for the Spaniard and for the first time in his career will allow him to fully lead a team heading into the new regulations in 2026, and with that will likely be a big financial incentive.
But Sainz turns 30 in September. And while that isn’t exactly old for an F1 driver, he probably only has one or two major long-term deals left, and he may not want to commit to that at Audi.
Disregarding the fact that the team will likely be at the back in 2025, there are doubts about how seriously Audi are taking their engine project. It’s unlikely they will come in and be immediately strong against the current manufacturers.
It may take years for them to become competitive. That can expected as Audi are going up against teams with years of prior experience in Formula One.
Can Carlos Sainz wait?
But will Sainz want to wait that long? And if he does sign up long term, will he be wasting years of his career waiting for the team to rise the grid, only to not be there when they are finally in a position to challenge?
Williams doesn’t offer the same upside as a works Audi deal, but in the short/medium term it could be the more competitive choice.
Despite only just scoring points at Monaco after a difficult start to the season, team principal James Vowles is putting the pieces together for the squad to begin ascending.
The admission the car was so overweight that it was costing them around 0.4s per lap on the surface is worrying. But it came due to completely modernising the design and manufacturing process over the winter.
0.4s puts Williams around RB range. But sometimes taking a step back to take two steps forward is necessary.
So, for Carlos Sainz, Williams may offer a better car in the short term, and with rumours that the Mercedes engine for 2026 is in a good place, it may be a while before Audi becomes a more competitive prospect.
Either way, it’s a step back for a driver who is deserving of a top seat in F1. Nevertheless, it’s a cruel sport and barring any more silly season drama, Sainz should make his move sooner rather than later.
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