Karun Chandhok believes ‘reality’ will stop Carlos Sainz from joining one Formula 1 team in 2025 once his Ferrari career concludes to make a space for Lewis Hamilton.
The Scuderia left Sainz to search for a new seat on the grid after opting against giving him a new contract. Ferrari had held talks with the 29-year-old about staying in Maranello past the 2024 season. But the chance to poach Hamilton from Mercedes was too enticing for Ferrari.
Ferrari president John Elkann canned the Scuderia’s discussions with Sainz once he caught wind of Hamilton’s release clause. So, they offered the 39-year-old a multi-year contract and it was enough to convince the seven-time champion to leave Mercedes after the 2024 term.
Carlos Sainz has interest from Red Bull, Aston Martin, Audi and Williams for 2025
Sainz is now firmly one of the hottest drivers on the market despite more than half of the F1 grid being out of contract after 2024. The Spaniard only improved his negotiating position in Melbourne, too, by winning the Australian GP for Sainz’s third victory as a Formula 1 driver.
He is also the only non-Red Bull pilot to win a Grand Prix since George Russell won the 2022 Sao Paulo GP for Mercedes. Sainz won his first F1 race at the 2022 British GP and his second at the 2023 Singapore GP. Now, teams up and down the grid are eying his services for 2025.
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Edd Straw of The Race reports that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is considering a move for Sainz to replace Sergio Perez. Lawrence Barretto also reports Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is interested in signing Sainz, but Williams have already spoken to his camp.
Reports by Bild also note that Sainz is Audi’s ‘hottest’ target as it looks to set the line-up at Sauber for 2025. Audi will take the Swiss team over as its factory entry in 2026 but aims to start pulling some strings earlier. Sainz is also Audi CEO Andreas Seidl’s preferred candidate.
Karun Chandhok doubts Carlos Sainz will switch Ferrari for Audi via Sauber in 2025
But while Chandhok has no doubt that Seidl would love to reunite with Sainz, the Sky Sports pundit questions the Spaniard wanting to leave Ferrari for Sauber in 2025 with Audi unlikely to challenge at the front for years. Seidl and Sainz previously worked together at McLaren.
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Signing Sainz would also mark a family affair for Audi as Carlos Sainz Sr secured the German giants a first Dakar victory this year. But Chandhok thinks the ‘reality’ of how long it will take Audi to turn Sauber into a front-running squad will put Sainz off making the switch for 2025.
Chandhok told Motor Sport Magazine: “I suspect that Audi and Andreas Seidl would dearly love to have another Sainz on their motorsport books alongside the Dakar-winning Sainz Sr.
“The reality is that it’s going to be at least 2029 before Audi is truly battling at the front in F1 and I’m not sure Carlos Jr wants to spend four of his prime seasons waiting for that.”
The post ‘I’m not sure’: Chandhok thinks ‘reality’ will stop Ferrari exile Sainz joining one F1 team appeared first on F1 Oversteer.