News about the future and some clues from Sainz: “I will make a decision soon”

The moment has come. Carlos Sainz has repeated since the beginning of the season that he does not want to put a deadline on the decision, but wants to think calmly and analyze all the options he has to decide which team to go to. From next year, 2025. All options are open, but the ones that are most important in the sports field are those of Williams and Audi. And Carlos, at the press conference for the F1 Spanish Grand Prix held this Thursday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, affirmed that the time has come to make a decision, saying that the decision will be announced “in the near future”.

“The latest news is that a decision will be made soon. I don’t want to wait any longer because I have reached a point where it has already taken up space in my mind. The time has come to make a decision and I am going to make it. I hope we can talk soon,” Carlos said.

However, he wanted to make it clear that he doesn’t yet know where he’s headed, as he hasn’t yet been able to calmly make a choice for 2025.

“I don’t know yet. I’m not 100% sure where I’m going to go yet. I’m talking to the team, we’re discussing it. I need to spend a few days at home. I’ve been at home for a few days, but I’ve been thinking about the Spanish Grand Prix a lot and it’s been a busy few weeks since Canada, so I haven’t had time to sit down and make a decision. It’s been a couple of days.”quarrel.

The most obvious option

And the choice between Williams and Audi It’s never easy, but the 29-year-old understands the importance of this choice in his sporting career. Meanwhile, Williams insists they have a more competitive car than the idea. Audi (still Sauber) in 2025 And there will be an engine Mercedes due to regulation changes in 2026 This is expected to be the best one yet, one that could give him a chance to shine so that he can hold his head high and aim for another, better car in 2027, when the driver market will open up again further, such as at Ferrari, Red Bull or another team.

on the other hand, Audi is a long-term option as he will drive for Sauber in 2025 and will have to wait for Audi to become competitive as soon as possible.So it’s very complicated. Audi’s choice would be historic because he would be the first leader of the German company’s first foray into F1 and Carlos would be key.

In that sense, Carlos gave a hint when asked if he would prioritise the expectations that exist among the options when it comes to the car’s performance under the new regulations for 2026.

“Yes and no.” It’s nearly impossible to guess who will perform better in 2024 than in 2026. The regulations are so different that thinking about who will perform best in 2026 is like winning the lottery or flipping a coin. So 2025 is going to be very important. If you can’t predict 2026, then 2025 is going to be important. And it’s a long-term thing too. We need to understand the power unit aspect, the team dynamics and everything that needs to be taken into account when making a decision, which is why we are taking our time to make a decision.”If you’re looking beyond 2025, Williams would be the better option.

“I don’t know why people say I missed a very good opportunity. The only thing I do is talk to all the teams I can and put the options on the table to make the right decision.”

“You already know my options. I don’t think I can say any more.”

The market among pilots

“Unfortunately, it’s a very cruel sport and I know that other people’s futures depend on my future. But my future also depends on Hamilton’s decision and no one has called me to warn me. It’s a very cruel sport at that level. If you’re a good person, please warn me, I’ve spoken to a few people and I’ve told them a decision will be made very soon by the people involved.”

Spanish Grand Prix and fan support

“It’s always been incredible, but in recent years, since I came to Ferrari with the possibility of a podium and Alonso came to Aston, the audiences have grown in the last few years and I don’t think they’re anywhere near the level of 2005 or 2006. Alonso was fighting for the title but it’s grown to a level that I love to watch, and the Netflix phenomenon has brought in more female fans. And at the Rad Show yesterday it was almost 50% female. “They were waiting for us to arrive from 11am and cheering us on, it was an incredible feeling.”

Choices to win

“I can’t put into words how important that win is. How many emotions would stay in my head if we win on Sunday. It seems like we have a chance, but we’re going to wait until after the free practice on Friday. Whether Red Bull has the advantage or whether we have the advantage like McLaren did in Miami… It’s almost impossible to say because many teams bring improvements and the grid order can change a little bit. I’d like to wait until Friday to see if we have a chance to win.”

The car didn’t perform well in Canada.

“We did our analysis thinking we can perform better than we did in Canada. We didn’t do well in qualifying with the tyres and the traffic and it was a bad weekend. But with a 24-race calendar, we’ve learned from it. We’re coming to more normal races where everybody here knows the circuits, the configuration, they know how to do the start lap and when to push.”

New Ferrari parts in Barcelona

“Like any improvement, we hope we can have a bit more downforce and be faster on every part of the circuit. But there’s no magic wand. Every improvement we bring is a small one and hopefully now we’ll be even more likely. We’re almost always in the top ten with McLaren and Red Bull, so every improvement will help.”

Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya renovation

“I have always defended the Spanish Grand Prix and the fact that it continues to exist. I think Barcelona is a great venue, it has an incredible fan base and I’ve always loved it. My preference is obviously to have that happen with the arrival of the Spanish Grand Prix.” In the case of Madrid, he said: “I have very little influence on what the decision is. The good thing is that F1 will continue in Spain.”