As the pieces begin to fall into place for the 2025 Formula 1 grid, there is one man’s name on everybody’s lips when discussing the driver’s market: Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard has started the season brilliantly for Ferrari but didn’t even have the chance to prove his worth to Frederic Vasseur before the season started with Lewis Hamilton signed up for next year.
In an interview with El Desmarque, former Spanish F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari has had his say on his compatriot’s future.
The options for Carlos Sainz appear to be running out rather quickly.
With Fernando Alonso committing his future to Aston Martin and Sergio Perez doing a fine job at Red Bull, he may have to settle for a car that isn’t fighting for race wins.
Alguersuari believes there are a lot of good reasons why Sainz should consider signing a contract with Audi next year.
The German manufacturer don’t officially join the grid until 2026 – taking over from Sauber – but their pedigree in motorsport should fill the 29-year-old with confidence.
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Jaime Alguersuari tells Carlos Sainz to seriously consider Audi F1 project
The front of the Formula 1 grid next year is beginning to take shape.
Christian Horner has made no promises to Sergio Perez that he’ll be signed up for 2025 and beyond any time soon, but the Mexican is doing a fine job this season.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is still courting Max Verstappen, but that looks like an unlikely move to take place this year.
Wolff also doesn’t seem interested in Carlos Sainz, with Italian youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli being prepped for 2025.
This means that Audi is arguably the best destination for Sainz next year and Alguersuari has been explaining why despite their lack of F1 experience, they could be a very strong outfit in two years.
They are getting closer and closer to signing their first driver for next season, with Nico Hulkenberg heavily linked with the seat.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will hope Sainz finds a drive elsewhere to keep their hopes of earning a new contract alive.
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Audi Formula 1 entry becoming more and more exciting
Talking about Sainz’s future in relation to Audi, Alguersuari said: “The Audi project, for me, is the one that I understand the most that could work.
“Basically, because all the new regulations are based on a system that has nothing to do with the current one, less aerodynamic load, lighter cars, other tyres, a very different engine than now… they reward much more different things than in Formula 1 today, that’s why I think each driver would have to know where they would like to be taking into account what type of regulations there are going to be.”
Carlos Sainz has been brilliant this season and it’s going to be a shame to see him potentially fall down the pecking order with Sauber next year.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu showed during the Chinese Grand Prix that there’s potential within the team.
Zhou was one place off scoring the team’s first point in Saturday’s Sprint Race, while Bottas reached the final session of qualifying on both occasions but his engine gave up after 20 laps.
However, it’s a long way off where Sainz has been fighting in 2024, given he was the man to break Max Verstappen’s stranglehold on the top step of the podium in Australia.
The post ‘I understand’: Jaime Alguersuari now shares which ‘project’ he thinks Carlos Sainz will sign up to in 2025 appeared first on F1 Oversteer.