Carlos Sainz presses Ferrari for resolving his F1 future this winter, demands clarity on 2025 contract

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz strongly denies links to Audi for 2026 amidst speculations.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (Image credit: F1Worldwide.com)

Carlos Sainz’s contract with Ferrari terminates at the end of 2024. However, there are still no reports of a contract extension handed to the Spaniard by Ferrari. His fine form throughout 2021 earned him a 2-year contract with the Scuderia. However, Carlos Sainz is adamant about not wanting to enter the 2024 season without clarity in his F1 future.

In an interview with Autosport.com, he voiced his displeasure at entering the last year of his contract without clarity of his racing for the following year. Having faced similar uncertainties with Red Bull and Renault, he acknowledged the unfavorable conditions for an athlete or driver. Stressing the suboptimal nature of the situation, he declared his intention to utilize the upcoming winter as a timeframe for deciding his future.

“I don’t like going into my last year of a contract without really knowing where I’m racing the next year. I went through that process both with Red Bull and Renault, and I know it’s not ideal as an athlete and as a driver. That’s why I have put this winter as a reference to try and figure out my future,” Sainz said.

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Carlos Sainz stands firm with Ferrari, dismissing Audi speculations for 2026

Carlos Sainz (Image credit: Autosport.com)

With Carlos Sainz’s contract expiring at the end of 2024, rumors spread that he was being considered for Audi. Not many F1 teams have vacant seats soon. Hence, the Spaniard moving to the German team was a fair assumption. However, Sainz himself denied any such claims.

In the same interview, he questioned the rumors, considering them as potential clickbait or attempts by smaller journalists to gain attention. He clarified that he was exclusively in discussions with Ferrari and not considering any other options. He clarified that he was not engaged in discussions with parties other than Ferrari. At the same time, he acknowledged that he couldn’t definitively confirm or deny a future move.

?️| Carlos Sainz on his contract renewal:

“My priority, and my main goal, is to win one day with Ferrari.”

“If not, it will also be time to look elsewhere.”

“But that’s my priority and what I want to sort out in the winter.”
— Ferrari News ? (@FanaticsFerrari) June 26, 2023

“There are weeks in F1 where there’s nothing to talk about. I don’t know if it’s clickbait or maybe smaller journalists trying to bring a story to gain notoriety. It doesn’t mean I will go, or will not go, it’s impossible to say. But I know by fact that right now, I’m not talking with anyone else,” he said.