Carlos Sainz had quite the reaction to a recent report suggesting he had signed a contract for the 2025 F1 season, and it wasn’t the kind of laugh you might expect. With speculation running rampant, Sainz took a moment to set the record straight ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz, currently with Ferrari, knew even before the 2024 season began that he’d need a new team for the following year. This came after the announcement that Lewis Hamilton would be taking his seat in 2025. Despite some doors closing—like potential spots at Mercedes and Red Bull—Sainz confirmed in Montreal that no contract had been signed, dismissing recent reports linking him to Williams as unsubstantiated rumors.
“The only thing I can tell you is there is nothing locked in,” Sainz told reporters, clearly amused but also concerned by the speculative media. “I’ve seen reports in the media, people saying I’ve signed. You look at those things, it makes me laugh, because 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.”
Sainz continued, “So it’s just funny now people saying 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 concerns me that people can get away with that kind of stuff without being backed or anything like that.”
While he hasn’t made any decisions yet, Sainz emphasized that any future move would have to be part of a long-term strategy. “I’m still a firm believer that in Formula 1 to be successful, you need a medium to long-term project. I don’t think you’re ever going to be successful in Formula 1 to go one year somewhere to win, and then leave. I think you need a proper project for those things to happen. And I think ’25, ’26, ’27, ’28, offers me a good opportunity to find that.”
Looking ahead, Sainz mentioned the unpredictable nature of the 2026 regulations and how they could shake up the competitive landscape. “I think ’26 is going to be a lottery. I think you guys have seen the regs today. When I had a look, it looks impossible for me to predict who’s going to be competitive. I know right now you guys see it maybe with a bit of a dramatic perspective, not being in a competitive car for ’25 or ’26, but I think ’26 is going to be such a turnaround that maybe the future holds something really positive out there for me.”
Talking to Sky F1, Sainz revealed he has several promising options but admitted it’s challenging to focus on the future while also competing in the current season. “I think I never lied about the fact that there’s many options available to me right now for the future and there’s some very good options out there and it’s something that I want to think about calmly,” he said.
“Being very honest with you, having a chance to win here this weekend and then my home grand prix in Barcelona, having a chance to win in Monaco, it’s very difficult to focus and make a decision on your future when you’re so focusing on trying to maximise the year and having a competitive car this year. So yeah, at some point, I’m going to need to sit down and see all the options on the table. Up until now, I’ve left it to my management and my team to negotiate and put together all the options in front of me and once it’s time to take a decision, then I’ll have to sit down and take it.”
For now, Carlos Sainz is keeping his cards close to his chest, focusing on his current season while weighing his future options carefully. Although rumors abound, his next move remains a mystery until he decides to share his plans publicly.
Source: Planetf1
