21 April 2023 , 10:20
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Carlos Sainz said he was angry to hear of speculation linking him with a future move to a rival Formula 1 team.
The Spaniard has had a rather nomadic F1 career to date. Having graduated through the Red Bull system to make his debut with Toro Rosso, spending three years with the team before deciding to start afresh.
He joined Renault and raced for the team for two seasons, until he was replaced with Daniel Ricciardo. He was offered a seat with McLaren to replace his compatriot Fernando Alonso and again spent two seasons with that team until another move came along that he found too difficult to resist.
This time it was Ferrari who came calling. This is his third season with the Scuderia and he is contracted to a fourth, with no signs at the moment that he is considering another move any time soon.
But that will not stop other teams from trying to coax him away if they decide Sainz is their main target. According to a recent report from Switzerland, that is the case at Sauber with the Spaniard apparently being targeted for 2026, when it becomes the Audi works team.
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But Sainz says he knows nothing about any potential interest on that front. More than that, he was irritated by the notion as he insisted that he is only interest in a future with Ferrari.
Audi are poised to enter F1 in the 2026 season (Getty Images)"I do not understand the talk about what may happen in 2026 when I am not yet under contract for 2025," he said. "It angers me when uncorroborated and fabricated rumours come out. My intention is to stay at Ferrari for many years."
Even though their official entry remains a few years away, Audi have made it clear they are actively assessing their driver options. Mick Schumacher has been heavily linked, given his nationality and the fact he is currently without an F1 race seat.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are well placed, given they are currently racing for the Sauber team branded as Alfa Romeo. The Sainz link may well have come about as a result of his father Carlos Sainz Sr, a rallying legend who has been racing for the German carmaker in rally raid competitions.