Carlos Sainz has stated that Mattia Binotto's appointment as the head of Audi/Sauber's Formula 1 program will not affect his decision regarding his future team.
Sainz, who worked with Binotto at Ferrari, has been considering an offer from Audi for several months as they prepare for their 2026 entry following their acquisition of Sauber.
However, the three-time Grand Prix winner is also exploring other options, including a bid from Williams and a last-minute offer from Alpine.
The dynamics within the latter have shifted since the arrival of executive advisor Flavio Briatore, with Alpine potentially moving towards becoming a Mercedes customer, which could make them a more appealing choice for Sainz.
This week’s announcement regarding Audi’s dismissal of Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl and board chairman Oliver Hoffmann, and Binotto’s arrival at the helm of the manufacturer’s F1 project, where he is expected to leverage his extensive experience to benefit Audi's F1 ambitions, would perhaps appear to provide Sainz with an additional incentive.
But while the Spaniard acknowledged Binotto’s valuable experience, he doesn’t see the latter’s presence as a deal-breaker for Audi’s offer.
"I think the arrival of Mattia to any team is positive, mainly because he has the experience of what it takes to build a top team nowadays, like Ferrari," commented Sainz ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
"He has that experience from Ferrari that he can bring into Audi and I'm sure it's a great asset for them and that's why they hired him."
"Mattia's arrival is good news for them, but it's not going to have too much influence on my future."
Nevertheless, Sainz admitted to having been in contact this week with Binotto.
"A lot of people are calling me now, not only Mattia, but yes, of course, we have spoken,” he said. “I have congratulated him because I think it is the ideal position for him at this moment."
Sainz made clear once again that he is playing his cards close to his chest regarding his F1 options for 2025.
"I think my future is still being discussed and, obviously, analysed very carefully," he added. "There are changes to a lot of teams that I'm looking at for next year, pretty much every week.
"There's evolution on the team market as much as there is on the driver market and I'm just going to keep giving myself time to take the decision, to analyse all these things that keep changing."
Asked if he could end up taking a year away from Formula 1, Sainz said: “Absolutely no. A sabbatical is not even in my head.
“I’m happy in Formula 1, love Formula 1, and I’d rather go down to a midfield team and use my skill in the peak of my career to try and help a midfield team to find the right way than take a year off and being third driver for anyone.
“I’m competitive and I know [what] I can still bring to a midfield team.”
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