Carlos Sainz firmly declines Flavio Briatore’s overture, stating he will no longer discuss his future plans publicly.
Flavio Briatore has made Carlos Sainz his top priority for 2025: the executive advisor makes no secret of his intention to aggressively pursue the Spaniard and sign him to Alpine F1 for next year (see our article).
Understandably, within the Silverstone paddock, Carlos Sainz was questioned about Alpine F1’s marked interest. Will he, against all odds, turn down Williams F1’s proposal to return to Enstone? Will he continue to keep the entire paddock waiting, much to the growing impatience of figures like Zhou?
The Stake driver will be disappointed: Sainz announces that everyone will need to be patient.
“I have decided not to talk about my future until I have made my decision, but you will be the first to know!”
Do the very kind words of Flavio Briatore, who expressed confusion as to why a top driver was still available, mean nothing to Carlos Sainz?
“Yes, I can thank him. Thank you very much to Flavio for his kind words, especially coming from someone like him who understands this sport, who has been here for so long, and who has, I think, seen quite a few drivers in his career. These words do comfort me, yes. But I will not discuss my future until I have something to announce.”
As we reach the end of a triple-header, isn’t Carlos Sainz too distracted by the accumulation of rumors and corridor noise?
“Yes, honestly, it’s on my mind a lot, I won’t lie. From Monday to Thursday, before arriving on track, there are a lot of phone calls, a lot of time spent on the phone, meetings with my management team, but also with the teams I’m talking to, trying to get an overview of the situation.”
“Yes, it’s probably very stressful and time-consuming. Instead of being able to disconnect and recharge, one’s mind is elsewhere, thinking about the future, wondering how it will unfold… So, it’s not the ideal situation.”
“However, when I arrive on Thursday, I feel able to perform as soon as I enter an engineers’ meeting, as soon as I put on my helmet, I feel 100% in the car. And, yes, I think the weekend in Austria shows that I am still performing at a very high level and that I am having one of my best seasons in Formula 1.”
“But I believe I will always perform better in a stable contract situation than in my current one, so I will never deprive myself of that. I won’t be hypocritical.”
A choice that will commit Sainz for the long term
If the Ferrari driver is taking his time, it’s because he doesn’t want to make a mistake: he’s not necessarily looking for the best team for 2025, but for 2029…
Carlos Sainz subtly responds to Williams F1 and James Vowles, who are growing impatient: he will take his time, no matter the other teams!
“There’s a bit of guessing, luck, understanding of what’s happening in F1. One should not judge a transfer based on the last few races. The transfers of a driver are analyzed and criticized with hindsight. That’s why I think I will take as much time as needed to make my decision, because it affects the next years of my life and it’s only right that I take my time.”
“One must always view and critique or analyze a driver’s decision with hindsight. Is it the right decision for Carlos in five years or not?”
“That’s why I think I will take [all] the time possible to make such an important decision.”
Sainz Shuns Briatore’s Advance, Halts Future Talks. Sainz Shuns Briatore’s Advance, Halts Future Talks
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