Latest Episode | Cut To The Race Podcast
Carlos Sainz has denied rumours of him signing a contract with a Formula 1 team for the 2025 season.
The 29-year-old is still undecided where he will land for the 2025 season. He will be leaving Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, being replaced by Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard has had some doors closed, including Red Bull. The Austrian team signed Sergio Perez for the next two seasons in 2025 and 2026. Mercedes is also a team where the Ferrari driver will be unable to join now.
It is understood that Sainz has had offers come in from Sauber/Audi and Williams for next season. However, unlike the rumours, the Sainz has not decided yet.
Decision still not made
Spanish media implied that the 29-year-old had made his decision, saying that a contract has been sgined with a Formula 1 team.
However, speaking at the Canadian Grand Prix, Sainz instantly denied any truth in the reports. The 29-year-old also found it amazing with the amount of false claims there was of where he would be driving next season. The Spaniard said:
“The only thing I can tell you is there is nothing locked in.”
“I’ve seen reports in the media – and I don’t know if it’s in Spain – of people saying I’ve signed. But when you look at those things, it makes me laugh.
“I remember seeing reports three months ago that I had signed for Mercedes. Reports that I had signed for Red Bull. Now obviously those places are not going to happen, so it’s just funny that people say I’ve signed for Williams.
“It makes me laugh, knowing that sometimes this goes a bit unpunished in a way for some media reports. I can just tell you that obviously it concerns me that people can get away with that kind of stuff without [consequences] or anything like that.”
2026 throwing a curveball
Sainz, initially, was happy with the options presented for the 2025 season. However, with the new regulations in 2026, it has made it a “lottery” to find the right team for the long term.
“For me, 2025 is equally important to 2026. Why? Because I think 2026 is a lottery,” he said.
“So, I could go somewhere to any of the options that I have on top of the table and be successful or not. And even one of the top teams could nail it or not.
“I think ’26, very honestly speaking, it’s impossible to find out. So given that, after everything I’ve seen, ’26 is almost impossible to predict who’s going to be on top. ’25 is almost a bit more certain who’s going to be where and you can more or less know and predict where they’re going to be.”
Sainz will not have a great amount of time to decided which team he wants to drive for next season.
Feature Image Credit: Kym Illman via Getty Images