What Is Carlos Sainz’s Future At Ferrari?

There are about five weeks still remaining before Ferrari and Carlos Sainz Jr.’s provisional deadline for a future pairing comes to an end. But importantly and rather notably, no decision whatsoever has been taken insofar with regard to the two’s future.

Will the two together continue to form a partnership that came into being in 2021, the year where Leclerc and Sainz raced together for the first time ever in red racing overalls? Interestingly, it’s also the year where Sainz, then a Ferrari newcomer, happened to beat Leclerc by a margin of 5.5 points.

But there are more questions.

Will Carlos Sainz actually have that contract extension until 2026, which he’s been clearly after or will Ferrari find a way to let go of the only man besides Max Verstappen to win a Grand Prix in 2023?

It’s all a bit unclear at the moment as far as Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari future is concerned. Though what’s clear is that a bit of urgency shown by his own team management in Italy would leave a very talented and capable driver in a good shape before the start of what’s expected to be another big, whirlwind of a season.

The noted Spanish driver didn’t make much of an effort to veil his feelings at this time, especially since a brand new season is about to go underway with Winter Testing almost knocking on our doors. The following are his thoughts as shared with a leading F1 publication most recently:

“I’m not going to lie, I don’t like going into my last year of a contract without really knowing where I’m racing the next year. I went through that process both with Red Bull and Renault, and I know it’s not ideal as an athlete, and as a driver. It’s just not the right thing. And that’s why I have put this winter as a reference to try and figure out my future.”  

Having said that, why a decision with regard to Sainz hasn’t yet been taken by Ferrari is a sign of confusion, if not exactly a sign of bother especially since the team principal Fred Vasseur had clearly highlighted his intent of having Sainz’s future sorted not too long ago (towards closing 2023):

“We met and started discussions, but we are a little behind the initial plan. I don’t consider it a problem at all, we will make a decision soon.”

That told, it’s been over a month and no decision has yet been taken. Sainz, talented, still young and raring to go, is hungry to know what the future beckons. But where the Maranello-based team is concerned, only Leclerc’s fate has been sealed insofar.