Carlos Sainz concedes that selecting his next move in Formula 1 for the year 2025 is "not easy."
He initially felt hurt for being excluded from Ferrari's future endeavors, but he came to terms with it, acknowledging, "The opportunity to sign a seven-time world champion and what that can entail is attractive to the team," as he shared with GQ.
"That's why, when I've looked at it in a reflective way, it hasn't hurt me so much. If someone has to replace me, I'd rather it be him."
Despite this, the 29-year-old racer believes he is not inferior to Lewis Hamilton, admitting, "Honestly, I don't think so. However, if you ask the other 18 drivers this question, they would answer the same," he remarked.
Negotiations with several teams are ongoing, and the delay in his decision is causing some tension among potential teams and drivers. Recent speculations have indicated that James Vowles from Williams is growing impatient with Sainz's indecision. "Williams is a super-emblematic team in Formula 1," Sainz insists.
"Yes, it's one of the few teams I haven't been to yet - Red Bull Racing too, Mercedes, too, there are two or three teams that I haven't been to yet that I might go to in the future, I don't know when to be honest. The future still seems to be quite uncertain, so not even I know, to give you an idea," he added.
"What I do know is that I have been in five different teams in these ten years, and I have very good memories of each team I have been in and I know that if tomorrow the opportunity arises to return to any of these teams, then I can go back."
Alpine, formerly known as Renault, for whom Sainz has driven in the past, has offered Sainz a solid proposal for 2025 and beyond, which he is considering among other options. He turned down an offer from Audi-owned Sauber, citing the challenge in deciding between competitive teams offering short-term deals and ambitious projects offering longer contracts as a major decision factor.
"I would say that both are equally important - having a competitive car as soon as possible and finding a project that gives me the stability and motivation to see that it has the potential for me to lead that team to be world champions one day," Sainz stated. "I'm trying to find the balance between the best of both worlds, and that's why it's not easy, because it's a very important decision for my sporting career, for my future, and that's why the decision is taking so long, also taking into account that things change every day," he added.
Sainz hopes to secure a spot in a leading team such as Mercedes or Red Bull soon. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, believes Sainz has a chance at Red Bull, where "In the Red Bull family right now, there is no suitable replacement for Sergio Perez," Villeneuve noted.
He further commented, "Yuki Tsunoda is still a volatile driver, he is a bit more controlled than in the past but he is still inconsistent," adding that Liam Lawson lacks the experience needed. "We do not know if he can take that step," he said. "My best bet to replace Perez is Carlos Sainz," Villeneuve concluded.
