Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season, with Charles Leclerc signing a contract extension with the Prancing Horse to team up with the British legend.
So it’s a long goodbye to Carlos Sainz Jr in 2024, who is now effectively driving for his F1 future in a campaign that is little more than a shop window for the Spaniard.
But with Ferrari’s SF-24 seemingly in rude health, the 29-year-old is making the most of the opportunity to showcase his skills to any watching suitors.
Italian Stallions
It’s somewhat telling that, after just five rounds of action in the 2024 season, bookmakers like Paddy Power are offering betting markets ‘without Max Verstappen’ and ‘without Red Bull’.
It’s a dogfight to be crowned ‘best of the rest’, with some betting tips columns predicting a continued ascendance for McLaren as Red Bull’s most considerable foe. However, it’s Ferrari that already find themselves as the 1/9 favourites in that market after a fine start to the campaign.
As has been customary for him in recent years, Charles Leclerc has been stellar in short bursts – delivering the fastest lap at both the Saudi Arabian and Australian Grand Prix.
But the difference in 2024 is that the Monegasque driver has been more consistent throughout the race too, taking advantage of the greater reliability of this new Ferrari model to clinch 76 points from his opening five races.
Sainz, rather than taking a back seat given that his time is up with the Scuderia, seems to be using his limited status as a chance to remind F1 of his considerable talent behind the wheel.
At the time of writing, he sits fourth in the Drivers’ World Championship standings despite missing the Saudi Arabian GP with appendicitis. But his thrilling win in Australia – the first non-Red Bull victory in 18 months – has been backed by podium finishes in Bahrain and Japan, with a climb of two places from a starting position of seventh in China.
The Spaniard is reminding everyone of just how good he is – given his predicament ahead of the 2025 campaign, that could not be better timed.
A Year of Uncertainty
You suspect that Sainz would like to get a 2025 drive tied up as soon as possible. There’s avenues that could be explored – ironically with Red Bull, given that the 29-year-old has proven himself to be a more than adequate, and willing, number two driver before.
However, Sergio Perez is having a strong season and may have just booked himself a stay of execution alongside Max Verstappen.
It will be interesting to see how Mercedes replace Hamilton. Will they ask George Russell to step up and be the firm’s top driver? Potentially, although signing Sainz Jr would secure them a safer pair of hands – and the Spaniard would no doubt relish being the premier driver for the team.
It has been reported that Audi have been in touch with Sainz about leading their transition from Sauber – the 29-year-old has been rather coy when quizzed about a possible move to the German outfit.
Whatever transpires, it seems likely that Sainz will be on the grid somewhere in 2025. Motivated and with talent to spare, whoever signs him will be on to a winner.
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