Carlos Sainz has now received ‘improved’ offer from £1.1bn F1 team for 2025

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Carlos Sainz was all set to be announced as a Williams driver at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend. Given that it was his home race, James Vowles would have seen it as perfect timing.

The F1 paddock was ‘certain’ that Williams would unveil Sainz on Friday. That, in turn, would trigger Mercedes’ announcement that they had promoted Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton.

But in the end, Sainz wasn’t quite ready to sign on the dotted line. The uncertainty around his future is set to drag on for another race.

On paper, the 29-year-old is a highly desirable free agent. He’s won three Grands Prix in his F1 career, most recently in Australia in March, and stood on the podium 22 times.

But Toto Wolff says that Mercedes walked away from talks after getting as far as discussing contract details. And Red Bull, the other frontrunning team with a potential vacancy, opted to retain Sergio Perez instead.

Christian Horner was worried that signing Sainz would reignite his tense relationship with Verstappen from their Toro Rosso days. This stance has left him choosing between teams near the foot of the field, with Audi also longtime suitors.

Alpine pushing for Carlos Sainz after signing Pierre Gasly

The reason Sainz reportedly hesitated was that Alpine have made a renewed push to sign him. He previously spent a year at Enstone in 2018 when the team was still known as Renault.

Sure enough, F1TV journalist Lawrence Barretto says that the £1.1bn French team (Forbes) have now tabled an ‘improved’ offer. The pursuit has been going on for ‘months’, but they now seem more determined than ever.

Sainz is yet to make a decision about his next destination. It’s a three-horse race featuring Alpine, Williams and Audi.

He would be replacing Esteban Ocon if he joined Bruno Famin’s squad. The team announced on Thursday morning that Pierre Gasly had signed a multi-year extension in the second seat.

What Flavio Briatore was spotted doing in F1 paddock amid Sainz pursuit

None of the teams pursuing Sainz can offer any guarantees. Vowles is a hugely ambitious team principal but Williams have only scored two points in 10 races this year.

Audi, meanwhile, won’t even enter F1 until 2026. That would mean first joining a Sauber team who are currently rooted to the foot of the standings, and gambling on the wealth of the German manufacturer to deliver a swift ascent up the grid.

Alpine are also a works team, though they may not be for much longer as Renault CEO Luca de Meo explores external engine deals. They are the highest-ranking suitor for Sainz in P7 but still haven’t fully emerged from a state of crisis.

Still, Sainz may be inclined to take a ‘risk’ now that Mercedes and Red Bull are off the table. Alpine’s new executive advisor Flavio Briatore was seen ‘exchanging phone numbers’ with Carlos Sainz Sr. in the Spanish GP paddock, so he’s clearly wasted no time in stepping up the chase.

Karun Chandhok says the Ferrari star finds himself in an ‘upsetting’ situation with his future up in the air. Whichever team he chooses, he may be seeking a swift resolution at this point.