With a quarter of the 2024 Formula 1 season gone, Carlos Sainz is still yet to resolve his future. He’s known since the winter that he was out of a drive at Ferrari after the signing of Lewis Hamilton.
Sainz appears to be playing a waiting game amid vacancies at both Red Bull and Mercedes. But that carries a degree of risk.
Sergio Perez is out of contract at the reigning champions, while the future of Max Verstappen is uncertain despite his long-term deal. That’s because of instability behind the scenes, exacerbated by the departure of Adrian Newey.
Mercedes are one of the teams who have held talks with Verstappen and seem to be waiting for either a yes or a firm no before they settle on their Hamilton replacement. Toto Wolff could potentially wait until August to give academy driver Kimi Antonelli enough time to prove his readiness.
There are, then, scenarios in which an opportunity to join a leading team could open up for Sainz. But the question is how patient his other suitors further down the grid are willing to be.
The Spaniard has an offer from Audi, who will take over the Sauber team ahead of the 2026 season. However, they reportedly want an answer before the Monaco Grand Prix.
Alpine now a contender for Carlos Sainz signature
Another option has now emerged for Sainz, with journalist Joe Saward naming Alpine as a ‘possibility’. The 29-year-old has apparently been talking to ‘pretty much everyone’ up and down the pitlane.
While Audi are ‘keen’ to get a deal done, it’s not necessarily seen as a ‘great choice’. As for Alpine, Carlos Sainz Sr shares a good relationship with team principal Bruno Famin, which could be a factor.
The backing of a giant manufacturer in Renault could also work in their favour, although Audi also provide that incentive. There is, of course, ‘much work to be done’ given their current predicament.
Sainz previously spent one full season at the Enstone-based team in their former guise of Renault. He raced alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2018 before moving on to McLaren.
Will Carlos Sainz really join ’embarrassing’ Alpine?
Speaking in March, Eddie Jordan slammed an ’embarrassing’ start to the season for the Alpine team. They’ve suffered perhaps a bigger drop-off than anyone else over the winter.
Having finished sixth in last year’s championship and scored 120 points, they now find themselves down in eighth with just one point on the board after six races. Esteban Ocon finally got them off the mark in Miami last weekend.
But it’s not just the on-track woes that should be a concern for Sainz. There has also been significant upheaval behind the scenes since CEO Laurent Rossi and team principal Otmar Szafnauer lost their jobs last summer, with the team even forced to deny rumours that they were for sale.
Things may now be settling down at long last, but it would still be a significant gamble for Sainz to join. Who’s to say that the team’s new structure will be effective going forward?
In the past, Alpine have spoken of lofty ambitions and fallen way short. ‘Nasty’ people in the paddock have pointed out that they were targeting regular podiums by 2024, but now they’re one one of the weakest teams on the grid.
Sainz will be wary of those failures. He’ll want to make sure he spends what could be his prime years in machinery worthy of his talents.
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