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Carlos Sainz has found an unlikely ally in Jenson Button, who feels the Spaniard is doing the right thing when it comes to taking a risk for his career. Carlos faced a major blow to his prospects early in 2024 when Ferrari announced that he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
Because of this, Carlos Sainz is now out of his seat for 2025 and has not signed the dotted line with anybody else. According to reports, Audi gave the Spaniard an ultimatum to sign a contract with the German brand. Sainz however is taking a risk as he continues to wait for Red Bull and Mercedes.
Both Red Bull and Mercedes have a seat vacant but neither are looking at giving Carlos Sainz a long-term contract. For the German team, all eyes are on Kimi Antonelli and his performance in the upcoming races. At the same time, the Austrian team is leaning towards keeping the same lineup for the future.
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This is a risky move by Carlos Sainz, as he could find himself in a situation where he loses out on all these options. Former F1 champion (worth $150 million) Jenson Button, however, feels this is the perfect call from the Spaniard and at this stage of his career, he has to take these risks. In a pre-Miami GP segment, talking to Sky Sports F1, he said,
"You know, he’s in a position in his career where he’s been around for a little while now, and he’s the only other person to win in the last 23 races apart from Max. So I think he has to take risks, but I think waiting it out and maybe getting a Red Bull seat or maybe getting a Mercedes seat is the direction he needs to take."
He added,
"He doesn’t want to wait for another sort of three or four years to be in a seat at Audi that could be competitive, so I think he’s doing the right thing.”
Carlos Sainz gives his take on the Audi F1 project
Carlos Sainz has been questioned in the past about his views when it comes to joining Audi. The Spaniard has always been complimentary of the German brand, and what makes it even more compelling is the success that his illustrious father has achieved in rallying while racing for Audi.
As quoted by PlanetF1, the Spaniard has been complimentary of the German brand, as he said,
"Oh, for sure, my Dad you will always hear him say good things about Audi, the project and how confident he is that Audi will make it to the top in Formula 1."
He added,
"And if you follow the Volkswagen projects, every time they’ve been involved in motorsports – it doesn’t matter if it’s with Porsche, with Audi, all over the Volkswagen group – they’ve managed to win. And I think that’s a very important asset, that’s something very important to consider."
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Carlos Sainz and where he ends up. The driver has truly positioned himself at the top of the list when it comes to the most sought-after drivers in F1 currently.
