:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/grupoclarin/LK7HFAUKJ5DMPM2D5NG6LP2W44.jpg "Carlos Sainz, in the center of the scene: he is the main figure of the transfer market")
Formula 1 is going through a very particular season and what happens off the track arouses equal or more attraction than what happens on the asphalt. The thing is that there can be changes on the grid that have not happened in a long time in the Máxima. And Lewis Hamilton’s early announcement to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 opened the tap.
At the beginning of this campaign, 13 of the 20 drivers were ending their contracts and, to be sure, there are many who still do not know what will happen to their future. Some even know that it is very likely that they will not continue being drivers in Formula 1.
This week, Aston Martin confirmed a new contract with Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who is about to turn 43, continues to be one of the top drivers of the Máxima. Beyond the enormous amount of money that Lawrence Stroll (his personal fortune is 3.5 billion dollars), the owner of Aston Martin, continues to invest in the team, many consider that, if the Asturian was not there, the good results achieved in 2023 and at the beginning of 2024 would not have been possible.
Aston Martin built a very modern new headquarters in Silverstone and will inaugurate its wind tunnel in September. The team’s perspective is to continue growing and be able to fight seriously for the titles. And in 2026, with the new regulations of Formula 1, it will use Honda engines, which will return to the division, after its successful last step with Red Bull. All this context and the expectations that it generates have motivated Alonso to continue with the team with a multi-year contract, for which the figures are not officially known. But the Spaniard will remain linked to the team even when he retires as a driver.
Alonso was a name that was heard in many teams for 2025. With Mercedes (which is seeing how it replaces Hamilton) he had talks, but they were not motivating enough for the Iberian. He also talked about Red Bull, which was a great wish for good Fernando. But, apart from the internal conflicts in the Austrian team, everything seems to indicate that Max Verstappen (26) and Sergio Pérez (34) will continue. The current three-time world champion threatened to leave the team, in the midst of the conflict between Christian Horner (team manager) and Helmut Marko (advisor and very close to “Mad Max). AND Fernando would have liked to share a team with Pérez.
But at Red Bull they thought of Alonso not to replace Verstappen, but rather “Checo”. However, the Mexican has a solid start to the season and showed that he still has something to offer the energy drink team.
The panorama in F1
With Hamilton at Ferrari and Alonso at Aston Martin, the 2025 grid begins to become clearer. Although there is still a long way to go before the sun rises for everyone. Today, all eyes are on the future of the driver of the moment: Carlos Sainz.
The Madrid native (29) gave Ferrari victory this year in Australia and achieved two third places. And he couldn’t run in Saudi Arabia because he had to undergo emergency surgery for appendicitis. The son of a two-time world rally champion and four-time Dakar winner will leave the Scudería at the end of the campaign and is looking for a seat. His name is heard in several teams, but…
Aston Martin was one of them, but they were already defined by Alonso. Many were excited that the other car from the British brand could be for Sainz, but it is clear that as long as Lawrence Stroll is the owner, his son Lance Stroll (of mediocre performance) will be the other driver of that team.
Sainz’s name was also linked to Red Bull. The Spaniard was part of the structure as a driver of the then Toro Rosso (later AlphaTauri and now RB), between 2015 and 2017, but in the middle of this last year he left the structure to move to Renault. His departure did not go down very well at Red Bull. But this is for money and interest, although the possibility of Sainz having a place in Red Bull for 2025 depends on him not continuing with “Checo” Pérez, something that does not seem possible today. Beyond that, the Austrians are not in a hurry to confirm their drivers. And Carlos Sainz is not willing to wait that long, just in case.
This week there were rumors that the Spaniard would already have everything closed with Mercedes. Toto Wolff, the team leader of the German brand, has to define who accompanies George Russell. The options are to look for a veteran (Alonso and Vettel were mentioned) or go for the great bet on the future of the structure: the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18 years old and who is in his first year in Formula 2. Then, Sainz would not have place.
But since it became known that Audi would join Formula 1 in 2026 (it bought Sauber), Carlos’ name has been heard. Aside from the fact that he will surely have an important and long-term contract, the question is what car he will have. The logical thing is that it will take some time for the Germans to be able to give the Spaniard a car to be able to fight at the level at which he does today. The other option could be Williams, which is rearranging its structure and with the Mercedes engine hopes to continue growing. To do this, he wants a top driver and Carlos Sainz is a very interesting name. Everyone is attentive to Spanish. Once you sign, it will begin to be decision time for the rest.