Carlos Sainz has spoken candidly about his future with Ferrari, making clear that he wants full clarity on his position at the Scuderia heading into the 2024 season.
The Spaniard’s current deal with Ferrari expires at the end of next year, meaning there is no reason to suspect any changes to his position.
However, Sainz spent several years at Toro Rorro and then Renault with short-term contracts, which is an experience he does not intend to repeat.
The 27-year-old has ambitions of winning with Ferrari, but he is unapologetic about the importance of being valued as a long-term part of the project at Maranello.
In a recent interview, he explained that clarifying his position at Ferrari going into 2024 will be a priority over the winter break:
“I don’t want to lie; I don’t like starting a season knowing it’s the last year of my contract. I want to know what awaits me in the long run,” he told it.motorsport.com.
“I have had previous experience with Red Bull and Renault. I know that not knowing your future is not ideal for a professional driver.
“For this season, a priority next winter will be to clarify my position, being understood that for me, the main objective is to win one day at Ferrari, something I have made clear many times.
“This will be my winter priority. If it’s not possible, I’ll be forced to look elsewhere.”
Sainz is currently fifth in the F1 standings, ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc after a turbulent start to 2023 at the wheel of an unpredictable SF-23.
Although the Canadian GP was an encouraging weekend for Ferrari, this does not undo the difficulties and obstacles from the start of this year’s campaign – which have impacted both Sainz and Leclerc.
Direct comparisons between teammates are a natural part of Formula 1, and they are especially prevalent between drivers at the top teams.
As such, it is no surprise that Sainz has faced plenty of scrutiny for his performances against Charles Leclerc since joining Maranello in 2021.
The Spaniard has fared fairly well against his Monegasque teammate, especially since most expected that Sainz would be comfortably dispatched by his teammate when he first joined the team.
Whilst there have been difficult moments where Ferrari struggled to balance the needs of both drivers (i.e. Monaco, Silverstone 2022), the team’s driver line-up is not a major concern.
Irrespective of how highly Ferrari’s drivers are perceived from the outside, Sainz is understandably eager to gauge if he can count on being a long-term part of the team.
It would be premature to make any conclusions at this stage, though the situation will – as ever – evolve as the year progresses.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
