The weekends go by and with it the calendar of the Formula 1 World Championship advances, which in this case plays against Carlos Sainz, who is still without a car with a view to the coming season after Ferrari pulled out a wild card that no one saw it coming, and convinced Lewis Hamilton to wear red starting next year. That operation placed the Spaniard in a market that began to boil much earlier than usual. His preferred options were two: take over the Mercedes that Hamilton would leave vacant, and aspire to Checo Pérez’s position at Red Bull, where he would meet again with Max Verstappen, his teammate at Toro Rosso in their debut in the championship (2015). . At the same time, Audi, which is scheduled to enter as a manufacturer in 2026, has identified the still runner of the Scuderia as the priority objective of the first phase of your project.
On paper, the hoops brand would be a reliable ally, although its bet is not exempt from certain obstacles, and some doubts. From the outset, signing for Audi would mean having to race with Sauber in 2025, given that the official landing would not take place until a few seasons from now, when, precisely, the new technical regulations are introduced, of which the new type of tires draws attention. engine. A double somersault with a pirouette for the German manufacturer, which will not only have to face the challenge of debuting in F1, but will also do so in a new framework and without references.
Sainz seems to be aware that his first two alternatives are becoming increasingly complicated. Mercedes, and especially Toto Wolff, its director, does not plan to give up its efforts to steal Max Verstappen from Red Bull, which is going through a period of internal turbulence capable of destabilizing anyone. If he does not succeed, Andrea Kimi Antonelli awaits in the bedroom, a young man who is knocking on the door of F1 and who the star’s company has seen grow. In the case of Red Bull, most indications point towards the continuity of Checo Pérez, who has been questioned since he arrived at the red buffalo structure (2021), but who is still there. The Mexican aspires to sign for two years, but the executives of the energy team prefer to offer him only one. In any case, whether he gives up Jalisco or his boss does, the extension of his agreement is getting closer every day.
With all that varied salad around him, Sainz does not close any doors and expands his field of vision. The last one to knock on their door has been Williams, a historic formation that has been involved in a re-foundation process for some time now, which has not yet fully borne fruit: the Grove troop (Great Britain) closes the general table, without Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant have been able to use their locker for the first time. It is striking that the Madrid native is considering signing for the team that wears the red lantern, when he has other communication channels open. What happens is that the Williams alliance has renewed its contract with Mercedes, which will supply the engines until 2030. Furthermore, the lack of competitiveness of the FW46 seems limited to its overweight, something that, according to James Vowles, the technical director, they have a relatively affordable solution.
From Monaco, where the eighth race of the 24 scheduled races will be held this Sunday, Sainz acknowledged that he is in no hurry to decide his future. “Faced with such an important decision, I want to have all the cards on the table to take the right direction. I’m about to turn 30, and I want the next project to work,” says the son of the two-time world rally champion (1990 and 1992).
You can follow The USA Print in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
_
