Carlos Sainz reportedly has a choice of four Formula 1 teams after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
The Mercedes superstar's future was thrown into chaos last Thursday morning after reports circulated that a move to Ferrari could happen in 2025.
By Thursday evening, it was confirmed that Hamilton will indeed leave Mercedes after the 2024 campaign.
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Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc in 2025 for Ferarri, meaning Sainz will have to find a new team.
According to F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto, Sainz will have at least four options for his next seat.
Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, via Planet F1, Barretto said: “He’s got tonnes of options. I think he knows Toto Wolff very well.
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“I know that, at Mercedes, they want consistency and they want someone who’s going to not rock the boat. They want someone who’s going to get on well with George Russell and Carlos Sainz fits that bill.
“I know, for a fact, that he could have an option at Aston Martin. He can have an option at Sauber but that will become Audi in 2026, and he can have an option at Williams.
“I know that they don’t all scream Ferrari at you but they are all teams in the potential ascendancy at different rates over the next few years. So I actually think he’s in a very good spot.”
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He added: “Once he comes to terms with the fact that his time at Ferrari is over, I don’t think he’s going to be too downbeat. He’s got the potential, if he goes to Mercedes, of a car that could be fighting for race wins almost immediately. If he goes to Aston Martin, he’s got a team that’s already fighting for podiums, and it’s going the right way.
“If he goes and hooks up with his old boss Andreas Seidl at Sauber, he’s got a manager who he knows can turn things around.
“And, if he goes to Williams, look what James Vowles has done in the course of a year and the money that they’re putting into that team. It could be a lot worse for him.”
The 2024 F1 season begins next month with the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will take place on 3 March.
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Mercedes, Formula 1
Marcus Chan