Carlos Sainz is contracted to Ferrari until the end of 2024, but the Spaniard hopes he'll enter next year's campaign with the Scuderia with a clear view on his longer-term future.
Sainz joined Ferrari from McLaren in 2021 and the Italian outfit the 28-year-old's initial two-year deal by an additional two years in early 2022.
Earlier this year, rumors emerged linking Sainz to a seat at Audi in 2026, but the Scuderia charger quickly dismissed the outlandish gossip, calling the reports "uncorroborated and invented" at the time.
"I honestly think there are weeks in F1 where there's nothing to talk about," Sainz said in a recent interview with Motorsport.com.
"I don't know if it's clickbait or maybe smaller journalists trying to bring a story to gain notoriety, and make their smaller page more successful because they can say: 'I was the first one to say Carlos was at Audi in 2026'.
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"I honestly think it's something related to that, because I don't understand where the rumours come from.
"It doesn't mean I will go, or will not go, it's impossible to say. But I know by fact that right now, I'm not talking with anyone else that is not Ferrari."
The House of Maranello, despite its current competitive woes, remains Sainz's prime objective when it comes to projecting his future.
But ideally, last year's British Grand Prix winner would like to sort out his destiny ahead of the start of the 2024 season.
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"I'm not going to lie, I don’t like going into my last year of a contract without really knowing where I'm racing the next year," he said.
"I went through that process both with Red Bull and Renault, and I know it’s not ideal as an athlete, and as a driver. It's just not the right thing. And that's why I have put this winter as a reference to try and figure out my future.
"My priority, and my main goal, is to win one day with Ferrari. And I think I've made that clear, very, very often. And that's why I will give my priority to them this winter.
"If not, it will also be time to look elsewhere. But that's my priority and what I want to sort out in the winter."
©Ferrari
For Sainz, failure at Ferrari isn't an option. The Spaniard remains committed to the Scuderia's unwavering efforts and to its quest for stability and strength.
"I think the team is in a good state," he said. "We're still going through some changes internally, as you've seen since Fred [Vasseur] arrived.
"There's been a few changes here and there that we are reorganising. But the way the factory works in combination with the race team, I think it's in a good spot.
"That's why I don't think there is any lack of understanding at the team. This doesn't worry me.
"It is really focusing on understanding the magic bullet of why are we slow in the races. Once we understand that, everything will be a lot easier for everybody."
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