Carlos Sainz’s 2025 season remains veiled in uncertainty. The Spaniard is going to lose his Ferrari seat after this year’s Abu Dhabi GP, and the Scuderia has decided to take up Lewis Hamilton in his place. As of yet, the #55 racer has not revealed any future plans despite rumors claiming several offers have already gone to him. As a part of the Maranello outfit, Sainz can contest for podium wins every race weekend, but he recently confessed that he might not get this privilege at his new team next year. And so, the 3-time Grand Prix winner wishes to enjoy the competitiveness of his Ferrari SF-24 for one last time in 2024.

In February, Carlos Sainz got the shocking news that his team would not continue its deal with him. The Spaniard has admitted in one of his interviews that Lewis Hamilton’s appointment in his stead was kept from him until the last moment. Now, the 29-year-old does not have a seat on any of the teams for the upcoming Championship campaign. But 7 seats are currently up for grabs, and the only one that can help him go for podium wins is Hamilton’s. If the Spaniard goes for any other outfit, he might not be able to routinely chase top 3 finishes like he does now.

11 Grands Prix into the current F1 season, Carlos Sainz has attained five podiums including a race win in Australia. At the latest showdown at the Red Bull Ring, he impressed the onlookers with a third-place finish. During the post-race press conference, Sainz faced the question of closing his 15-point gap to teammate Charles Leclerc in the Championship Standings. However, he replied that is not his main goal for now. The Madrid native said, “I’m focusing on enjoying the opportunities that I have this year to fight for podiums that I might not have them next year.”

The F1 grid has twenty of the world’s best drivers, and to beat them all to grab a podium is what Carlos Sainz is currently after. While speaking of his target for the 2024 season, he also mentioned, “I’m going to give everything and enjoy these opportunities and these moments like today on the podium.” This shows the Spaniard has wrapped his mind around the depressing reality that he might not get a seat at a squad like Ferrari for next year. So, what are the teams that he might consider once his Scuderia contract runs out?

Carlos Sainz might have to fight a 17-year-old for a Mercedes seat

With 23 podium finishes and 1117.5 career points, Sainz has amassed vast experience in Formula 1 since his 2015 debut. Once Ferrari drops him, the #55 driver will be looking at options like Logan Sargeant’s Williams seat, one of the Haas seats, Esteban Ocon’s Alpine seat, or Valtteri Bottas’ place at Kick Sauber. VCARB has already announced it would pick between Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson for becoming Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate next year.

However, Carlos Sainz’s best bet remains fighting for a place in the Mercedes squad as Lewis Hamilton‘s replacement. The Stuttgart-based outfit still has not signed any driver but is inclined towards one of its own juniors – Kimi Antonelli. But the 17-year-old rookie has not had an official F1 test yet, and Sainz can bring more experience to the table than the Italian. Thus, the Spaniard might have to contest against Antonelli to capture the seat left behind by the 7-time World Champion.

Speaking of Sainz’s future in Formula 1, some of his colleagues have claimed he is holding up the silly season for 2024. As several racers like Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, and Esteban Ocon are hoping for a place in one of the F1 squads for next year, they want to check where Carlos Sainz goes first. Do you think an announcement might come from him anytime soon, or will he drag out his decision till the latter part of this season? Share your opinions in the comments below.