What will Carlos from Spain do? The question of Sainz’s continued presence in Ferrari or a potential move towards the German sirens (Audi) remains open. Before delving into the heart of the matter, I would like to make a small preamble. Fortunately, the day after tomorrow, the roaring engines, or rather the hissing power units, will restart, and we leave behind this “horror vacui” of the dreaded F1 summer break (combining vacation and F1 already sounds funny) filled with nothingness and punctuated by emptiness.
In fact, not only has any outpouring from anyone been amplified, but we have learned such amazing things about the world of F1 that it has forever changed it. Note: I am being sarcastic. Anyway, let’s return to the initial question. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are nearing the end of their contracts. In Formula 1, and also in football (and many sports), being in the final year of a contract means that there is still one more year before the “real” expiry.
And usually, negotiations take place before the last year of the contract, either to renew it (usually this happens) or to announce a move to another team. This is the rule, with the necessary exceptions. While Charles Leclerc’s renewal should already be settled, the same cannot be said for the Spanish Carlos Sainz, who, rightly having a high opinion of himself, like his teammate, has a very specific dream: to become the Formula 1 world champion.
However, Fred Vasseur, who has been quite present in the media lately, has already indicated that there’s no rush, and that a solution in this regard will likely be sought by the end of the year. On one hand, continuity is almost mandatory for a team principal. The drivers are well integrated into Ferrari, they are quite skilled, one with the potential of a champion, the other slightly below that level, and it wouldn’t make sense to change them.
John Elkann had the monstrously forbidden dream of bringing Sir Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, which would have changed everything. But the initial timid approaches did not ignite a passionate fire, and as we know, marriage requires two willing parties. So, a safe bet, if you allow me to use the expression.
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Ferrari, Sainz: Tactics for Renewal
The problem could arise for Carlos, in the sense that the son of an artist doesn’t want to play second fiddle, and that’s understandable. Yet, he knows well that if he continues to stay in Ferrari, he would inevitably be the loyal sidekick to Charles. Hence the rumors, which have a foundation, of the Audi-Sauber option for 2025. Moreover, there was also the suggestion of Mattia Binotto moving to Audi, which now seems to have faded away, something that would certainly have pleased Carlos Sainz.
A driver with proven experience, Carlos would certainly be valuable for a team aspiring to become a top team, as is the case with Audi, of course. But there could be another hypothesis. Carlos could use the German option as leverage to obtain a better contract than the previous one, and in any case, to secure his confirmation.
In short, as often happens, Plan A: the threat of interest from another team to negotiate favorable financial (and other) terms for renewal. Plan B: actually go to Audi. It’s something that industry insiders are considering. And evidently, they have good reasons for doing so.
The problem remains how Fred Vasseur will manage to retain Carlos if he eventually asks to be treated on par with Charles Leclerc. However, there is also a clear way out here. It’s enough for the track to provide its verdict.
Source: Mariano Froldi for FUnoanalisitecnica
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