Carlos Sainz reveals the timeline for his Ferrari contract extension negotiations

Sainz got Ferrari their first win since the Austrian GP in 2022 at Singapore this year.

Carlos Sainz reveals the timeline for his Ferrari contract extension negotiations

Carlos Sainz and Fred Vasseur after Singapore GP 2023. (Via IMAGO)

Carlos Sainz’s contract with Ferrari ends at the end of 2024. He recently showed a huge up-turn in form after a less-than-adequate first half of the season. Amid his spectacular form, this might be the perfect time for him to strike a new deal with Ferrari. However, Sainz has revealed that concrete discussions will be held during the winter break.

Due to their hectic schedule, Sainz said that he and the team haven’t had enough time to sit down and talk. He said that while right now may be a good time for him to negotiate, he’d prefer to wait till the end of the season as he knows that his equation with the team goes beyond just the last few races. Sainz revealed that their current priority is to finish the highest they can across both the standings.

“My future will be decided in the winter… We haven’t sat down because there is no time during the season. If you are in a good moment of your career it is easier to negotiate, but I don’t see that the prospects have changed between us because of the last races, we know our mutual potential,” said Sainz, as per Total Motorsport.

Sainz’s ground-breaking victory at Singapore along with his P3 finish at Monza have surely put him in the driver’s seat for the negotiations. He is currently 15 points clear of his teammate Charles Leclerc on P5 in the WDC Standings.

Also read: Max Verstappen reveals the one key personality trait that helps him to thrive in F1

Carlos Sainz wishes for F1 to visit the Guia Circuit in Macau in 2024

The Guia Circuit in Macau was established in 1954 and is one of the most challenging tracks in the world. The variation of height between the extreme points of the circuit is nearly 100 ft, which is rare to be seen for a street circuit. It currently hosts the Formula Three and MotoGP championships. However, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has suggested that F1 add the circuit to their 2024 calendar as well.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz (via Essentially Sports)

Sainz called Macau as ‘different’, saying that the track would show a highly increased level of competition. He said that current races don’t show much difference between the teams, as the maximum gap between the drivers in qualifying is five-tenths to six-tenths on a usual day.

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“I think once a year we should all go to Macau and race in F3. 20 F1 drivers all there. I think in Macau, it is different… If we all go tomorrow to Barcelona let’s say, and we do a qualifying lap in normal dry conditions…I don’t think that there’s more than half a second between us.” said Sainz.

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