Ferrari preparing for Carlos Sainz to leave at end of F1 2024 season – report

Michelle Foster 08 Jul 2023 5:00 AM

Alex Albon Carlos Sainz Ferrari split. July 2023.

Ferrari have reportedly begun their search for Carlos Sainz’s replacement should he leave after the 2024 season with Alex Albon their number one pick.

Sainz, at least according to the media, is said to be unhappy with his number-two status alongside team-mate Charles Leclerc is reportedly looking at his options for when his contract expires at the end of 2024.

Although Leclerc has the same expiration date on his contract, the Monégasque driver has long been regarded as a future World Champion for Ferrari with Sainz as his wingman.

Ferrari lining up Carlos Sainz’s replacement

Leclerc has been linked to both Red Bull and Mercedes in recent months but reportedly neither of these scenarios are set to play out with the five-time grand prix winner ultimately expected to extend his stay.

For Sainz, though, the future isn’t so black and white with the Spaniard linked to several teams and Audi reportedly keen on signing him.

While the German manufacturer will only arrive on the grid in 2026, they are set to buy an increasingly larger stake in Sauber in preparation for a 2026 takeover. As such Sainz could yet join in 2025 in the build-up to Audi’s arrival.

And according to Corriere dello Sport, Ferrari are preparing for such a moment.

Formula Passionreports that the Italian publication claims “if for Charles Leclerc there seem to be few doubts about his stay in Maranello, the future of Carlos Sainz does not seem equally certain.”

据报道”的名字出现a possible replacement of the Spaniard”, amidst reports of the “irreconcilability between Carlitos’ sacrosanct ambition to become World Champion and Ferrari’s determined intention to become Leclerc-centric is Alex Albon.”

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Team boss Fred Vasseur is keen to see the Thai-British racer, who spent a season-and-a-half at Red Bull in 2019/20, fill Sainz’s seat should the Spaniard opt to leave.

“It is a plausible hypothesis considering the various circumstances, and that the contracts of Sainz with Maranello and of Albon with Williams expire at the end of 2024.”

Albon joined Williams in 2022, the driver returning to a race seat after being dropped to a reserve role by Red Bull at the end of the 2020 season to make way for Sergio Perez.

Despite his demotion, Red Bull continued to sing his praises with Williams then signing Albon for the 2022 season.

He scored four points last year before committing to a long-term deal with the Grove squad, with Albon claiming two points finishes – including seventh place in Canada – in the first nine races of 2023.