Carlos Sainz ‘agreement quite far away’, Alex Albon a ‘serious alternative’ for Ferrari
Carlos Sainz and Ferrari are reportedly still "quite far away" from agreeing a new F1 contract extension.
An agreement over an F1 contract extension between Carlos Sainz and Ferrari “still seems quite far away”, it has been claimed.
Sainz wants stability and is keen to secure a two-year renewal to tie him down until the end of 2026, but Motorsport report that an agreement between the two parties is not close at this stage.
With talks between the Spaniard and Ferrari ongoing, “in the background there have been whispers that Alex Albon is a serious alternative with the Williams driver believed to be out of contract at the end of this year”, the report continues.
Last week Ferrari announced a new bumper contract for Charles Leclerc, but the Italian outfit did not address the future of his teammate Sainz, whose current deal expires at the end of 2024.
The decision to only announce Leclerc has promoted fresh intrigue and question marks, particularly as Sainz made it clear he wants to have his future sorted before the start of the new season.
While Motorsport acknowledge “there remains plenty of time for Ferrari to now nail Sainz’s deal”, they say the “fact remains that the negotiations are taking longer than expected”.
The report adds: “The silence about progress has only served to fuel speculation about what is really going on.
“What is obvious though is that Sainz is in a much stronger position to negotiate better terms than he was last time around.”
If talks continue to drag on, “compromises from both parties” may be required to get a deal over the line.
Current Williams driver Albon has been labelled as “an obvious candidate” for Ferrari, should negotiations with Sainz break down.
“The Thai driver is understood to be a free agent for 2025 and, while loving his life at Williams, the attraction of joining a legend like Ferrari would be something very difficult to turn down,” Motorsport report.
Although Sainz’s preference is to remain at Ferrari, the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023 has also been linked with Audi and most recently Williams.
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