Ferrari confirms Charles Leclerc in Formula 1, but leaves behind the renewal of Carlos Sainz: negotiations are dragging on, concealing dangerous pitfalls.
Ferrari moves forward with Charles Leclerc, chasing the dream of the F1 World Championship, but what’s happening with Carlos Sainz? As anticipated during the winter, negotiations with the Spaniard are progressing slowly. Maranello’s priority was the renewal of the Monegasque driver, Number 16, whom Frédéric Vasseur has evidently decided to focus on. However, the Sainz issue hides pitfalls that go beyond the contract.
Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari is doing everything that was loudly demanded from Mattia Binotto’s. Revolutions take time, but as the pieces slowly begin to move within the Racing Department, the Prancing Horse has chosen its Knight: Charles Leclerc will be the lead, as emphasized by the desire to announce his renewal even before finalizing the negotiations with Sainz.
It remains to be understood what is happening in Carlos Sainz’s camp. If winter rumors turn out to be once again heralds of truth, then Carlos Sainz’s desire would be to secure a long-term contract. Something that Ferrari, on its part, would not want to grant, stopping instead at the end of 2025. Such treatment would mark the gap with the Monegasque teammate even more.
Carlos Sainz needs to look around: competitive alternatives for 2025 are unlikely to present themselves. Of course, Audi is arriving the following year, and this opens up an interesting suggestion: a transition in Stake to adapt to the new team before officially donning Ingolstadt’s colors. However, this would mean abandoning the top group for (at least) an entire season.
The most realistic scenario remains that of Audi, with a small window open to McLaren, in case of dramatic swaps involving Lando Norris. However, the Four Rings arrive only in two seasons.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard could accept an extension with the Reds, with the certainty of leaving Maranello the winter before the technical revolution of the Circus. But beware of the couple’s relationship with the Chosen One at home: Carlos Sainz has already shown repeatedly that he doesn’t digest team orders well, a situation that could worsen when aware of the imminent departure.
Imagining outright sabotage from within would be an insult to the reader’s intelligence, let’s clarify. Assuming that a good dose of mutual support might be lacking in the team, on the other hand, is a bit less far-fetched. The relationship between the two ‘Carlos’, although seemingly idyllic, conceals the monster of hyper-competitiveness in both.
A significant hurdle to overcome, which perhaps will be the first real test of the Fred Vasseur era.
Source: f1ingenerale
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