All teams currently in contact with Carlos Sainz for future F1 seat

The Spanish driver is set to leave Ferrari at end of the 2024 season

Carlos Sainz has been offered a three-year contract by Audi who is soon going to make their debut In the Formula 1 industry. This information was disclosed by Red Bull’s Chief, Helmut Marko, in a recent interview.

He said, “Sainz is currently in great shape. I think he has a very great three-year offer from Audi. But he has to make a decision relatively soon.”

Audi

The Sauber team, transitioning to Audi, has made their intentions very clear about having the Spanish driver on their team ahead of its entry in 2026. Marko also claimed that “Audi is making pressure” on the 2025 driver market. 

The Spaniard had ties to the manufacturer from his father’s Dakar Rally trips in its RS Q e-tron vehicles since 2022, which included a victory in the 2024 competition.

However, Audi isn’t the only one having eyes on signing the 29-year-old Spanish driver. With an impressive start this season, Sainz has been performing exceptionally great following his appendix surgery.

With 2 podiums, 3 wins and a stable position on the grid, many top teams have tried to contact Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season. He currently stands at fourth position in the driver’s championship table with 55 points. Sainz and his management team have also been engaging with teams having potential openings for the next season.

Red Bull: A Viable Option

With Lewis Hamilton, replacing Sainz at Ferrari in the 2025 season, the Spanish driver must secure a new seat. Currently, Red Bulls seems a viable option for Sainz where he might replace Sergio Perez for the next season. 

“If he maintains these performances like those in qualifying in Japan, then he is certainly the best option for 2025 at Red Bull,” Marko added.

“We’re talking to him, he’s having his strongest season in F1 but he has a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t match or beat,” Marko said of Sainz in an interview with the Austrian daily Kleine Zeitung.

On the contrary, there have been other rumours going around about the chances of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull because of the ongoing management issue and the Christan Horner Scandal.

Uncertainty at Mercedes

The possibility of Carlos Sainz joining Mercedes appears very uncertain at this point due to a reported clause. The clause talks about promoting the talented junior driver of Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli. He is a promising driver but he lacks experience when compared to the other drivers on the grid.

Mercedes is interested in signing Sainz for a single season without a long-term commitment. But that is too unfortunate for the team as Sainz is reportedly seeking a multi-year contract.

According to reports, Mercedes and Carlos Sainz are debating a 1+1 contract that would give Mercedes the flexibility to change their driver lineup in response to changing team dynamics and performance.

Additionally, the Silver Arrows are also considering partnering up George Russel with either Antonelli or Max Verstappen for the 2026 season. 

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.