Carlos Sainz has stated that his team for the 2025 season, which now includes Alpine as a potential option, may be announced before the next race in Austria.
Sainz has been contemplating his future in Formula 1 for the past six months after being excluded from Ferrari’s 2025 line-up in favour of Lewis Hamilton.
It’s that time of the year…
At this time of the Formula 1 season, rumours about the drivers’ future start circulating in the paddock, and this year, they began earlier than normal. Lewis Hamilton initiated the commencement of that specific event in January by declaring his departure from Mercedes after 11 years. He intends to join Ferrari next season in pursuit of the coveted eighth world championship.
When the Briton joined, Carlos Sainz was left without a position at the Scuderia, and he is expected to leave Maranello after spending four years with Charles Leclerc.
In recent weeks, Sergio Perez finalized a fresh contract with Red Bull, guaranteeing his position as Max Verstappen’s teammate until the conclusion of the 2026 campaign. Red Bull’s decision to retain Perez is a commendable display of confidence, even though he was at risk of losing his position at the conclusion of the previous season, during which he won only two races compared to his teammate’s 19.
So far this year, the Mexican driver’s performance has been disappointing. He has failed to perform well in the past two races in Monaco and Montreal. However, Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, continues to support him.
Perez had hardly finished signing his new contract when RB, Red Bull’s sister squad, promptly exercised their option to extend Yuki Tsunoda’s contract for an additional 12 months until the conclusion of the upcoming season.
Process of elimination…
While we remain in the dark regarding Sainz Jr’s future team, we do know where he won’t find a seat for the 2025 season.
Currently, Red Bull does not view the Japanese driver, Tsunoda, as a strong candidate to replace Perez. However, Tsunoda has had point-scoring finishes in five races this season, including two in Miami, where he also earned points in the sprint race. Additionally, Tsunoda has outperformed his colleague Daniel Ricciardo in qualifying for seven out of nine races.
Sainz, who is now without a seat for the 2025 season, stands out as the most prominent driver without a team, especially after the recent confirmations of Perez partnering Verstappen for another two years and Hamilton joining Leclerc at Ferrari.
McLaren has wisely decided not to separate Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris has just signed a multi-year agreement that will keep him with the club until at least the end of 2025, while Piastri is under contract until the conclusion of the subsequent season.
Aston Martin has officially announced that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will continue as teammates for the next season. The double world champion has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the team, ensuring his presence until at least 2026. However, the latter’s contract is flexible and dependent on his father, Lawrence, who is both the team owner and has the final decision about his future.
What team will Sainz Jr join?
Presently, Sainz has a restricted range of choices. The Spaniard has won the Grand Prix thrice and has been associated with potential transfers to Mercedes, Williams, and Sauber.
Using the Canadian Grand Prix as a reference point, it may be argued that Sainz’s best opportunity to drive for a successful team lies in a direct exchange with Hamilton. And when Sainz Jr odds with popular online US betting apps are released, this would be where the smart money goes on predicting what team he’d join next.
George Russell secured the pole position in Montreal recently, showcasing the impressive modifications of the Silver Arrows. Mercedes has also demonstrated superior speed in qualifying, outperforming Red Bull and McLaren. Therefore, betting odds will surely favor this option for Sainz.
In contrast, Sauber is the sole team that has not yet earned any points in the current season. Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu will need to step aside for Nico Hülkenberg at the year’s conclusion since the current Haas driver will be joining on a two-year contract. That said, despite the lack of competitiveness, Sauber can offer a significant incentive to Sainz by partnering with Audi since the team is expected to be renamed after the renowned German car manufacturer when it enters Formula 1 in 2026.
What Sainz has said…
Initially, the topic revolved around Sainz’s preferences for joining a team. However, recently, it has shifted into discussing which teams are interested in him and which teams still have available seats.
Although Sainz emerged victorious in the last Australian Grand Prix, he is primarily considering Williams and Sauber as potential choices for his possibilities in 2025. However, the situation has slightly changed since Alpine became involved.
Esteban Ocon’s departure was announced following a challenging Sunday at the Monaco Grand Prix. However, the team claims that his resignation was unrelated to his performance. As a result, Carlos Sainz now has three options instead of just two.
Reports indicate that the Spaniard is now evaluating three potential options: Alpine, Williams, and Audi, and he aims to decide on his next team in the near future.
“The decision might be [before Austria], not for certain, but it could be,” Sainz told reporters after this past weekend’s Spanish GP.
This stance stems from his pre-Spanish Grand Prix comments, which revealed his frustration with not knowing where his future lies.
“I think it’s getting to a point where it’s taking space out of my head for quite a few weeks and months now,” the Spaniard said ahead of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. “A choice must be made now, and it will be made shortly.”
The term “soon” does not indicate an announcement before the Austrian GP. Sainz is currently considering his alternatives, and none of them – at least on paper – are very desirable options:
- Under the new engine regulations, Sauber/Audi will become a factory team in 2026. However, it remains uncertain whether they will succeed in their first attempt with the power unit (PU).
- Williams has acquired a Mercedes engine to comply with the new restrictions, but can they successfully optimize the chassis?
- Finally, we have Alpine… Will they still exist as a works team in 2026, or will they become a customer of Mercedes, as has been proposed?
These are the essential questions that Sainz must have the answers to before finalizing the agreement. So, while his frustrations (and ours) are evident, we shouldn’t expect rash decision-making to be made anytime soon.
