CARLOS SAINZ’S MANAGER ISSUES F1 FUTURE UPDATE WITH THREE DESTINATIONS RUMOURED

Carlos Sainz’s manager, Carlos Oñoro, is “still playing the game” as he seeks to secure the Spaniard’s F1 future amidst Mercedes, Red Bull and Audi rumours.

Having been dropped by Ferrari even before the first race of this championship, Sainz had a wealth of options for 2025 but already doors have begun to close.

‘We’re still playing the game so we’ll see’

While Fernando Alonso put an end to Aston Martin rumours when he re-signed with the team, it is being speculated that Mercedes will bring in junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli and that Red Bull will continue with Sergio Perez.

That closes out the top half of the grid with F1’s rumour mill claiming Sainz will form half of an all-new Sauber line-up alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

Helmut Marko says Audi, who have bought Sauber and will rebrand the team in 2026, have made the Spaniard a big-bucks offer, one that Red Bull cannot match.

That though was contradicted by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner who said they have no idea whether Audi had made him an offer or not, and that they definitely have no clue as to the numbers involved.

Sainz has made it clear he wants his future resolved “sooner rather than later” but with Mercedes waiting on Antonelli’s F2 form and Red Bull biding their time too, the 29-year-old is being made to wait.

His manager Oñoro isn’t giving away any clues as to which teams he is speaking with.

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“A few,” he told the F1 Nation podcast when asked how many ‘balls have you got in the air at the minute’. “Let’s say, it’s an interesting period of time at the moment.

“The driver market has been all over the place lately and I think we will see some movements in the upcoming weeks but for the moment, the juggling continues.”

Asked whether Formula 1 could hear an announcement before the next race in Miami, he replied: “No, no, no! You can sleep well between China and Miami don’t worry!

“There will be no big news at least coming from us, for sure not. We’re still playing the game so we’ll see.”

As for Sainz, the three-time Grand Prix winner wasn’t too fazed about Alonso taking Aston Martin off the table as he revealed “all my best options are still open which I think it is a positive thing and is something that obviously requires a bit of time, given the situation of the market.

“I think it’s going to take some time for everything to make their own mind [up] and their own decisions, but the good options are still open.”

He added: “Obviously it gets to a point where the sooner that everything develops the better, because at the same time it’s not like it’s affecting my performances at all this year.

“But the earlier you take this out of your head and of the situation the better. But it requires time and it requires some decision-making, so now is the time to let that happen and see how things progress.”

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2024-04-24T11:51:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd