F1 paddock has one major concern over the Audi project amid Carlos Sainz interest

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Carlos Sainz has suffered a fresh blow with the news that Sergio Perez has signed a contract extension at Red Bull. Sainz’s hopes of securing a top F1 seat have now all but vanished.

The 29-year-old may initially have been optimistic about his short-term future when Ferrari decided to drop him in favour of Lewis Hamilton. He’s produced some of his best driving in recent times, winning in Singapore and Australia.

A return to McLaren was never on the table, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both on long-term contracts. But Mercedes had a vacancy following Hamilton’s exit, and Perez was out of contract at Red Bull.

In the end, though, the world champions opted to retain the Mexican for another two years. And Mercedes are poised to give their seat to junior driver Kimi Antonelli.

There was talk that the Silver Arrows had offered Sainz a one-year deal with the option of a second. But the Spaniard didn’t accept it because he was wary of ending up in the same position in 12 months if Max Verstappen became available.

Sainz won’t be rejoining Red Bull junior team RB, and Lance Stroll will continue to partner Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. Ultimately, he’s been left choosing between Audi and Williams.

‘Many’ in F1 paddock doubt Audi competitiveness as they try to sign Carlos Sainz

Sainz has long had an offer on the table from Audi but has been hesitant to accept it. The German giants want a Formula 1 A-lister to partner Nico Hulkenberg when they take control of the Sauber team in 2026.

Audi have set an internal target to compete for the world championship within five years. Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl says they have the budget to rival F1’s top teams, but that in itself isn’t a guarantee of success.

• READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

According to ESPN, the ‘enthusiasm’ around the Audi project has now ‘waned’. ‘Many’ figures in the F1 paddock are ‘skeptical’ about their prospects when they enter the sport.

This could be a major concern for Sainz, who would likely have to accept an initial year of pain at Sauber, currently bottom of the constructors’ championship. Two to three seasons at the foot of the field is surely an unthinkable scenario for a driver of his calibre.

This leaves Williams as the ‘front-runner’ to get a deal done. Sainz would be partnering Alex Albon at Grove after the Thai driver penned a new deal.

Could Sainz have wildcard third option for 2025?

If Sainz does end up giving the green light to Williams, then an agreement could proceed quickly. It’s possible that it could be announced in the lead-up to his home race in Spain later this month.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty, he’ll want clarity over his future. But one team may make a late push to change the landscape.

Alpine confirmed on Monday that Esteban Ocon would be leaving the team at the end of the season. And team principal Bruno Famin is ‘keen’ to pull off an unlikely move for Sainz.

Sainz previously raced for the Enstone team in 2018 when they were known as Renault. It was a short-lived partnership as he hopped to McLaren for the following season.

And much as there are concerns at Audi, he’s likely to have serious reservations about Alpine too. Yes, they’re a more established manufacturer team, but they’ve scored just two points this year and appear to be in a state of disarray off the track, potentially deterring their top targets.