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Carlos Sainz claims all the top 2025 F1 seats are ‘still open’ for him

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Manmayee Joshi | Last updated 4/18/24

The smooth operator, Carlos Sainz , believes that the good options are still open for him for the 2025 season. After getting replaced by Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari starting from next season, Sainz has become the hot prospect of the grid. Being the only non-Red Bull driver to have won races, has worked greatly in his favour.

The Spaniard has been able to catch the eyes of many team principals, ever since his win in Australia. Carlos Sainz has been linked to Mercedes, Red Bull and Audi. He was linked with Aston Martin, however, that option is no longer on the table as Fernando Alonso renewed his contract recently.

Despite everything that’s been going on, Sainz believes that all good options are open for him.

No. My best options are still open which I think is a positive thing and is something that quite obviously requires a bit of time, given the situation of the market. It's going to take some time for everyone to make up their own minds and take their decisions, but the good options are still open. Carlos Sainz said: Motorsport

Audi has reportedly given an ultimatum to the Spanish driver, but he has opted to play the long game till he gets the best deal. Sainz is one of the most versatile drivers on the grid, from the start of the ongoing season, he has scored a podium in every race.

Carlos Sainz claims smart decision-making will help teams from 2026 onward

The new F1 regulations will be set in place from 2026 and Carlos Sainz believes if anyone wins from that point onward, it will be because of clever strategizing. Being the most sought-after driver on the grid, Sainz is being very careful regarding his choices.

The 29-year-old is keeping the new regulations in mind around his new contract, however, he believes there is no way to determine who will be at the extreme front end of the grid from 2026 onwards.

It's impossible to know right now who is going to get it right for 2026. So, even when I take the decision for when where I'm going to be 2026/2027 – it doesn't matter how much you talk to teams, how much they sell you how good they're doing with the engine – the reality is no one knows. If someone wins in 2026, in my opinion, it's not because of smart decision-making, but because you're just in the right place and the right time. Carlos Sainz via: Motorsport

The Red Bull F1 team has proved the most mighty outfit under the current set of F1 regulations. Ferrari is trying to catch up to them during the ongoing campaign but as insisted by Carlos Sainz, 2026 is kind of a Pandora’s box at the moment. Keeping everything in view, there is a good chance that the F1 order could flip when the new regulations kick in.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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