29-year-old F1 driver keen to extend current contract, but team unsure on offering new deal

Follow us on Google Discover

Carlos Sainz is very keen to sign a new contract with Ferrari, but the Italian team are unsure whether to offer him a new deal.

A report from Gazzetta dello Sport has shared more details about the future of the Ferrari driving line-up.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur sees the potential in the team right now and may be slightly disappointed that they couldn’t reel in Mercedes during the final race of the season.

Charles Leclerc did everything he could to try and deny George Russell an important podium.

Unfortunately, his teammate Carlos Sainz had a nightmare weekend, starting with a huge crash in free practice.

He then had a poor qualifying session and was gambling on a safety car in the final laps before eventually retiring.

Ferrari look set to offer Leclerc a new long-term contract but Sainz’s future is much less certain.

His current deal expires at the end of next year and he could be caught up in a major shake-up on the grid.

Sainz only finished six points behind Leclerc in the driver’s standings in 2023 and was only overtaken during the final race of the season with Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris also leapfrogging him.

It looks like Ferrari are keen to see what other options are out there to fill that second seat.

The 29-year-old might be handed one more chance to impress with Ferrari’s main target not available until 2025.

Sainz wants new Ferrari contract

The report from Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that a new contract for Sainz is still under discussion.

Sainz wants to put pen to paper on at least a two-year contract but Ferrari are keen on seeing what opportunities arise in the driver market next year.

It’s a very difficult situation for Sainz who hasn’t really done an awful lot wrong during his time at Ferrari.

He was the only driver who broke Red Bull’s dominance of the sport this year with a phenomenal win in Singapore.

However, Leclerc is Ferrari’s man having come through their academy and if he signs a long-term contract then it shows he’s their number one driver.

He’s so talented that Martin Brundle has argued he might even be faster than Max Verstappen right now

Sainz is a very capable teammate but if Ferrari want to challenge for titles is he the man to do it?

Only time will tell if Sainz can do enough to extend his stay with the Maranello-based team.