Carlos Sainz’s camp rubbishes rumors of a pre-contract with Audi for 2025
Carlos Sainz's entourage made it clear that Ferrari remains the priority for the Spanish driver amidst Audi rumors.
Carlos Sainz (image via Daily Express), The rear wing of the Audi Sport F1 show car (image via Motorsport Magazine)
Carlos Sainz‘s contract with Scuderia Ferrari runs out at the end 2024. The Spanish driver has been rumored to join forces with Audi’s F1 entry for quite a while now. The 28-year-old was known to be a prime target of the German automaker when it completed its takeover of Sauber in 2026. However, a member of Sainz’s team has ended such speculation.
Recently, rumors surfaced that Carlos Sainz had already signed a pre-contract with Audi to join its soon-to-be works team in 2025. This would put the German carmaker the first option for the Spaniard once his contract expires with Ferrari. Sainz’s entourage has clarified that the 28-year-old has not put pen to paper with the auto giant.
Carlos Sainz’s camp reaffirmed that the Spanish driver’s goal is to stay with the Scuderia in the future. Motorsports.com quotes one Sainz team member, “Plan a is Ferrari. Plan B is Ferrari, and plan C also remains Ferrari.” However, the entourage admitted that the Ferrari driver has been in contact with Audi. It seems that the 28-year-old is adamant about publicly stating his desire to continue racing for the Italian team.
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Ferrari yet to start contract talks amidst Carlos Sainz Audi rumors
Previously, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur stated that the Scuderia will not be discussing new contracts with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc till the end of this year. Both Sainz and Leclerc will run out of their contracts with Maranello after the 2024 F1 season. The Spanish driver has expressed his desire to know about his future in the sport at the start of a season.
Despite the comments made by Carlos Sainz and Ferrari, Audi has remained in touch with the Spanish driver. On the other hand, the Scuderia has fallen behind its rivals this season, with Sainz failing to achieve a single podium finish so far. If Maranello fails to improve by the end of the year, the Spanish driver might just be ready to take a leap of faith and join the German automaker.
Thus, Carlos Sainz’s team has clarified that the 28-year-old’s priority is to continue with Ferrari. Audi has contacted Sainz recently with talks about a potential deal in the future. However, the Spanish driver has not signed any pre-contract with the auto giant. Although, it remains to be seen if the Ferrari driver decides to jump ship soon.
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Armaan Agarwal
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