Carlos Sainz has been practicing his profession at Ferrari since 2021. However, before the 2024 season, he received devastating news. In early February, it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would move to Ferrari in 2025. Sainz was in negotiations with the team for a contract extension, but unfortunately things didn’t work out. As a result, he will need to find a new team for the upcoming season.
Sainz is highly sought after in the F1 driver market. Many teams for the next season have not finalized their driver lineup yet, and the Spaniard is a standout choice. During the 2023 F1 season, he was the only non-Red Bull driver to achieve a victory. Recently, he expressed his desire to take his time to decide which team to join. Now, it seems that official negotiations have begun.
During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, Sainz and his team were seen meeting with the Mercedes team principal. There have been previous links between Sainz Jr. and other teams, such as Red Bull and Audi, for the 2026 season when they will take over Sauber. Whether he will end up joining Mercedes is still a mystery. However, he has already begun to prove his worth, securing a podium at the Bahrain GP. Currently, his focus is on recovering from appendicitis surgery. Ferrari will make a decision after the weekend regarding his availability for the Australian GP.
Unfortunately, Sainz had to step aside and could not compete in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to unforeseen circumstances. Before the race weekend, he was feeling unwell and did not take part in any activities other than Thursday’s practice sessions. As the days went by, his health worsened and the pain became unbearable. Consequently, he underwent an appendicitis surgery. Although Sainz is fully committed to his recovery, the Ferrari team boss has great confidence in him. During a press interview, he expressed his confidence in the 29-year-old driver.
With nine days remaining until the Australian Grand Prix, Sainz has time to rest and recuperate. In his absence at the Saudi Arabian GP, Ferrari’s youngest reserve driver, Bearman, took his place and secured an impressive seventh place. Ferrari will need to decide whether to rely on Bearman as Sainz’s substitute, in case he is unable to compete in the Australian GP next week.
