Carlos Sainz May Get Mega-Money Deal if He Goes to Audi, Ex-Ferrari Boss Declares Prediction for 2026

Soon-to-be ex-Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz Jr has done extremely well in the two races he has been a part of. Despite him proving that he is a better driver than Charles Leclerc this season, he has not yet found a seat for 2025. Lewis Hamilton will be joining the Scuderia soon and the world is waiting to see Carlos Sainz’s next move.

The Smooth Operator just won the Australian Grand Prix and fans cannot wait to see what happens in Japan. Audi is making their way onto the grid and many predictions state that Spaniard will be heading their way. But that will still leave a gap year in 2025, and the question is, what will Carlos Sainz do?

Peter Windsor’s take on Carlos Sainz’s 2025 plans

Peter Windsor is one of the more popular names in the sport, mainly for formerly being a race car driver and a team boss for Ferrari. Currently, as a journalist, he shares his expert opinion on the current affairs of Formula 1. Speaking about Carlos Sainz’s departure from Ferrari, he says on his podcast LIVE F1 chat with Peter Windsor, “I really hope Carlos Sainz gets a reasonable deal wherever he’s going to go, as I said, you know, he can go to.”

Suggesting the Silver Arrows he said, “He can do a plug-in job at Mercedes. I think he’ll probably know it’s a plug-in job because there, you know, that’s so into Kimi Antonellie, and that’s probably only for one year.” But then Windsor got to the problems and stated, “And it’ll be an uncomfortable one year, maybe in a good car, maybe not, with George Russell in the other car trying to get to know the team and then suddenly switching.” 

The other suggestion from the Ferrari ex-boss was, “[Carlos Sainz] going to Audi straight away on a mega contract, and saying to them, ‘Look, it’s pretty clear in 2025. I’m going to be a midfield at best. I’m a Grand Prix winner. If you want me to go through the growing year with you guys to be there for the next 10, I’m going to have to be paid massively to drive around in the midfield instead of winning Grand Prix as I should be.'”

Windsor suggests that it would make sense to join Sauber for the last year before Audi takes over as long as he gets a salary that will compensate for him driving around in the midfield until the team is competitive. This is just one take on what Sainz can do with his career but there are other directions he can look at too.

Carlos Sainz in Red Bull for 2025

Going back to where it all started would also be a great choice for Carlos Sainz as this time instead of Toro Rosso, he is a strong candidate for the Red Bull seat. Even Helmut Marko made a comment on Sainz’s performance, calling it “fascinating”. The Smooth Operators’ performance at the Australian Grand Prix has impressed everyone and has definitely caught Red Bull’s eye.

While the situation in the team is complicated, to say the least, there might be a chance for things to flip in Sainz’s favor as he gets to drive alongside the defending champion. Having Max Verstappen as a teammate is something he is familiar with since their debut seasons.

Although now they both have matured as racers, it would be interesting to see them compete for the world championship in a car with a similar spec. That being said, where do you think Carlos Sainz will go after Ferrari? Audi, Red Bull or Mercedes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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