Sainz exploring 'realistic options' and demands urgency

Carlos Sainz has revealed he is in talks with several teams in the F1 paddock but has called for the contract negotiations to "speed up".

The Australian Grand Prix winner is still without a seat for 2025 after Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton to partner Charles Leclerc next season. Replacing the seven-time world champion at Mercedes is a rumoured option.

Supposedly, Sainz has also been offered an 'ultimatum' by Audi. The 29-year-old has been linked to the German manufacturer since it announced its 2026 entry into the sport.

A return to the Red Bull family to partner Max Verstappen is another possibility, with team principal Christian Horner recently confirming the Spaniard as an option.

Given his sensational victory in Australia just 16 days after successfully undergoing an appendectomy, Sainz is not short of options.

But with over half the grid requiring a new deal for 2025, Sainz has called for urgency and wants to know where he will be racing next season as soon as possible.

Several discussions

Asked as to how contract negotiations were going for next season and the number of teams spoken to, speaking to media including RacingNews365 ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, Sainz said: "Talking obviously to a few.

"That's what my management team and myself should do when I don't have a job for next year yet, so yeah, we're talking to pretty much all of them.

"It's just a matter of obviously going more into detail and seeing the more realistic options and what are the best options for me and for my future, which I don't have any news for you or nothing to say here today.

"The only thing I would say is that, obviously, it's time now to speed up a bit everything and hopefully we can get it sorted sooner rather than later."

With another two weeks of recovery under his belt following his surgery, Sainz believes he is approaching full fitness going into one of the more demanding races on the calendar around Suzuka.

Providing a health update, and whether he is now 100 per cent fit, Sainz said: "Yeah, I think so.

"I've been riding my bike this week. I stayed in Australia for a week and started going back to the gym. Still obviously not lifting heavy numbers like I used to do in the past, but at least I can get my training done and I'm feeling back to 100 per cent."