Ferrari in turmoil as Carlos Sainz ‘signs pre-contract’ with another F1 team

Carlos Sainz’s future at Ferrari appears to have been thrown up in the air with the Spanish driver reportedly signing a pre-contract to join the Sauber team, which will be fully rebranded as Audi Sauber in 2026, at the end of his current Ferrari deal.

The Spaniard has been heavily linked with a move to the Audi project before. Andreas Seidl, currently the CEO at Sauber Motorsport, is a known admirer of Sainz following their time together at McLaren, and the German is reportedly keen to build the Audi project around Sainz if given the opportunity.

This narrative would fit well with Sainz’s reported demands. While many see team-mate Charles Leclerc to be the leading man at Maranello, the 28-year-old believes that his performances this season have earned him the right to lead the Scuderia’s efforts in 2024 and beyond.

Unfortunately for Sainz, Ferrari are not keen to accommodate his demands. With Leclerc set to sign a new bumper deal that will keep him with Ferrari until 2029, it is clear that team principal Fred Vasseur hopes the Spanish driver would ideally play the supporting role moving forward. 

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Given this difference in opinion, a split from Ferrari seems likely, with Auto Action reporting that the Madrid-born driver has already signed a pre-contract agreement with Sauber to join up with the team at the end of his current contract.

While these pre-contract deals are relatively common in F1 and are not legally binding, this is a clear statement of intent from Sainz, who is not happy to play second-fiddle to Leclerc as he approaches the latter half of his career. 

What is for sure is that Sainz will make his decision before the 2024 ‘silly season’ gets underway next summer. “I do prefer starting a season already knowing where I’m going to be the following year,” he told Auto Action. 

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“Because that takes away the distraction that there always is to be negotiating a new contract when you need to be fully focused on what you’re doing on track and on the work you have to do with the team you’re currently with. That’s the only way to make progress.”

Sainz then confirmed that he will be hoping to know his destination for the 2025 season as early as possible, explaining: “The goal is to go into the 2024 championship without any worries about it and my contract for the future already signed and sealed.”

With current Sauber duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu performing to a respectable but largely uninspiring standard, Sainz would be given the opportunity to lead the team should he sign on the dotted line for 2025.

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