Carlos Sainz has expressed fears that inaccurate reports about him signing a new Formula 1 racing contract will “go unpunished”, as he is still deciding which team he will join after leaving Ferrari.
Sainz has known for months that he will be replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton next season, and is expected to finally make a decision on his next move following the news that Red Bull have re-signed Sergio Perez to partner Max Verstappen in 2025.
The three-time Grand Prix winner was holding out for a potential Red Bull or Mercedes seat to keep him at a top team, but that did not come to fruition.
While Sainz's representatives have held discussions with all the teams that still have vacant seats, it is understood his choice has been narrowed down to Sauber – which will become the Audi works team in 2026 – and Williams.
Some media claimed in the lead-up to this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix that Sainz had chosen to join Williams but he denied making any decision.
In fact, Sainz did his best to correct that misinformation in his Thursday media session in Montreal, deflecting the race's question about whether his opportunities now had changed his mindset in terms of wanting more flexibility rather than being restricted for longer. -condition.
“No, the only thing I can tell you is that nothing is closed,” Saenz said.
“I've seen reports in the media, I don't know if it's in Spain, people are saying I've signed a contract.” [for Williams].
“You look at those things, they make me laugh because I remember seeing reports three months ago that I had signed with Mercedes, reports that I had signed with Red Bull.
“It's clear now that those places aren't going to happen. So, it's funny that now people are saying I signed Williams.
“It makes me laugh but sometimes this goes unpunished for some media people. And I'm not talking about you guys, because you guys are deeply involved in Formula 1 and you know when something is signed or not.
“I can just tell you that obviously what worries me is that people can get away with this kind of thing.”
Sainz then continued his answer to get back to the core of the initial question, noting that he still believed a long-term project would be a better move rather than engineering some flexibility with a short-term deal that would allow him to move elsewhere if a better option emerged.
“I will put everything right,” he said. “I will seriously consider everything within this contract that I sign.
“I'm still a firm believer that to be successful in Formula 1, you need a medium to long-term project. I don't think you'll ever be successful in Formula 1 to go for a year somewhere to win and then leave.
“You need a suitable project for these things to happen. I think 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 give me a good opportunity to find that.
“I said I think 2026 will be a lottery. You guys saw the recordings today. When I take a look, it seems impossible for me to predict who will be able to compete.
“Right now, guys, maybe you see it through a dramatic lens, not to be in a competitive car for 2025 or 2026.
“But I think 2026 will be a big transition, and maybe the future will hold something really positive for me.”
Sainz refused to answer the question of why a team like Williams would like him, simply on the basis that “whatever I'm going to tell you here today, you can put it in a headline and make a story out of it and I don't want that.” to”.
However, he said what he was offered were “good choices” and that he felt “happy and proud” to have a choice to make when not many drivers have that luxury.
“Everyone I talked to I felt wanted,” he said. “I felt like people really wanted me on their team, and it makes me feel proud and positive about the future.”
