Would Alpine be a good move for Carlos Sainz?

Sauber and Williams seemed to be in a straight fight for Carlos Sainz's services for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

However, Alpine may have become a third contender over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

Sainz is still keeping his options open. He leaves Ferrari at the end of the season and has a trio of teams to choose from.

Alpine has signed the controversial figure Flavio Briatore as an executive advisor 15 years after he was banned for life over his role in the Crashgate scandal.

The Italian has been a highly influential character over his career and could be the key to luring Sainz back to the Enstone-based team after a brief spell in 2017 and 2018.

Alpine has taken a sizeable step backward this year, suffering from an overweight, underpowered car. However, there are signs of improvement with double-point finishes in the last two races.

The French team has struggled to deliver a competitive engine since the introduction of the current power unit regulations in 2014.

Renault's engine still lacks power, costing Alpine several tenths of a second per lap. They have struggled so much in the hybrid era that Red Bull and, more recently, McLaren have turned their back on the manufacturer.

The underwhelming program has forced the team principal, Bruno Famin, to seriously consider becoming a customer team and buying engines from another outfit.

A rumored engine deal with Mercedes could be an attractive proposition for Sainz, although being a customer does put an inevitable ceiling on performance.

Esteban Ocon is on the move at the end of the season, vacating a drive at Alpine and potentially opening a space for Sainz.

The team has let too much talent pass through in recent years, including Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri. 

Sainz would represent an experienced signing with the ability to win Grands Prix, although Alpine seems more unstable than another of the Spaniard's options, Williams.

Williams has made steady progress in recent years and remains the favorite to win Sainz's signature, despite Alpine's recent interest.