Sainz admits contract decision for 2025 becoming a distraction

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Carlos Sainz finds himself navigating a pivotal period in his Formula 1 career, focusing on a potential contract decision for the 2025 season and beyond. The Spaniard, currently contracted to Ferrari, is assessing offers from Alpine, Williams, and Audi. This self-imposed delay in committing to a future seat has become somewhat of a distraction, yet he maintains it hasn't negatively impacted his on-track performances.

Scheduled to be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari come 2025, Sainz is considering his next move. Despite months of speculation since the Hamilton announcement in January, the matter of Sainz's future remains unresolved. Kevin Magnussen might have likened Sainz to "the cork in the bottle" regarding driver market moves, yet Sainz is determined to take his time with this decision.

The focus on his future has not come without mental demands. Sainz shared, "Honestly, quite a lot. I'm not going to lie," when asked about how much time is dedicated to this decision process outside of race weekends. "Monday to Thursdays before I get to the track, there's a lot of phone calls, a lot of time spent on the phone, meetings with my management team, but also the teams I'm talking to, trying to understand and trying to have a full picture of the situation."

Despite the stress, Sainz has shown remarkable resilience in compartmentalizing these decisions from his driving duties. He has often underscored the importance of having long-term contractual stability for optimal performance, something he admits to lacking currently. Nevertheless, Sainz insists his recent form evidences his ability to remain competitive, stating, "I feel like I'm able to perform as soon as I get into an engineering meeting. As soon as I put the helmet on, I feel 100% in the car."

Options available to Sainz appear modest compared to his achievements, with three Ferrari victories and a strong reputation on the grid. However, the potential upside in the long term could outweigh any immediate uncertainties. He advised fans to maintain perspective, "You always need to see and criticize or analyze a driver's move with perspective in time. Was this the right move for Carlos in five years' time or not?"

Sainz is committed to exploring every avenue, reinforcing that critical decisions affecting the forthcoming years of his racing career merit careful deliberation. As the F1 community awaits a resolution, Sainz continues to prove his worth on and off the track.

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