Carlos Sainz has acknowledged that he wants to accelerate conversations with the teams to decide as soon as possible what his future will be in Formula 1. The Ferrari driver, champion of the last Australian GP, assured this upon his arrival in Suzuka.
The youngest Sainz is the only driver to beat the dominant Red Bull since 2022, but he will be replaced at Ferrari by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the end of the season.
Sainz told reporters before Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix that he was talking to several teams "because that's what my management team and I should do when you don't have a contract for next year yet."
"Obviously it's just a matter of going into more detail and looking at the most realistic options, and what the best options are for me and my future," he added.
"Right now, I have nothing to tell, but what I can say is that it is time to speed up the pace a little and be able to solve everything soon," he confessed and assured that he was not afraid of anyone: "I'm not afraid, I have no problem." in running next to no one. I have already had many teammates in Formula 1, also Max Verstappen, Leclerc or Norris..."
More than half of the current grid is without contract for next year, with a possible vacancy at champion Red Bull alongside triple champion Max Verstappen and Mercedes looking for a replacement for Hamilton. Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026, is another possibility.
Sainz won in Melbourne just two weeks after suffering an appendix operation that forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Spaniard said he was already in top shape: "I've been cycling this week, I stayed in Australia for a week and started getting back to the gym." "Obviously I'm still not lifting big numbers like I used to in the past, but at least I can train and feel 100% again."
Sainz believes Suzuka could be a challenging track for Ferrari as the Italian team was well off the pace there last year when the race was held in late September. "It's time to see if we can at least get closer and enjoy this incredible track a little more than we did last year, because for me it's one of my favorites, if not my favorite," he said.
