Ever since the announcement of Lewis Hamilton switching to the Prancing Horse, one of the biggest talks of the paddock has been where will Carlos Sainz be for 2025. After having a stellar start to the 2024 season with a win in Australia and two podiums in Bahrain and Japan, teams took notice, and currently, he is not short of options for the 2025 season.
Some rumours say he’ll go to Red Bull, some rumours say Mercedes, and some think he’ll have to join a smaller team with a lot less resources than the Scuderia, such as Sauber who become Audi in 2026.
But when asked ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix about his options for 2025 and whether the good options are gone yet, Sainz put the rumors to rest.
“No. My best options are still open which I think is a positive thing and is something that quite obviously requires a bit of time, given the situation of the market,” Sainz said.
Everyone involved in the sport is being kept on their toes, wondering when the next taste of silly season will happen and where it will leave Sainz, but according to him, nothing has been happening behind the scenes recently.
“There hasn’t been any progress over the last couple of weeks, so there isn’t anything to update you on. Obviously, the sooner it gets to a point – the sooner everything develops – the better, because at the same time, it’s not like it’s affecting my performance this year, but earlier that you take it out of your head and the situation, the better.”
Wherever Sainz goes in 2025 will matter with the new F1 rules and regulations coming in 2026, but he feels as if the new regulations don’t play a major role in his decision as teams are guessing at how good their engine will be compared to their rivals.
“Even when I take the decision for when where I’m going to be in 2026/2027 – it doesn’t matter how much you talk to teams, how much they sell you how good they’re doing with the engine – the reality is no one knows,” he said.
“If someone wins in 2026, in my opinion, it’s not because of smart decision-making, but because you’re just in the right place and the right time.”
But the bottom line is this: Sainz wants a competitive car. He’s shown very strong form so far this campaign in the second quickest car.
“With the level I’m showing and driving now, obviously being in a competitive car would be very appealing for me.”
Right now it’s looking like Carlos Sainz has multiple options for a seat in 2025 and only time will tell which one he takes.
