According to a rumour from Germany, Ferrari and Carlos Sainz have differing viewpoints on negotiating a new contract.
According to F1-Insider, the Spaniard wants a two-year agreement to stay with the Scuderia, whilst the team is lobbying for a one-year deal with a second-year option.
While this keeps the team’s choices open for 2024, it also makes Sainz’s seat less secure for the following year and if the report is accurate, there will very certainly be a standoff.
The Scuderia has stated for some time that a new contract for the 27-year-old is nearly finalised, with team principal Mattia Binotto stating in December that his future with the team beyond the end of 2022 would be discussed, and Sainz stating in February that their direction was “pretty clear for Ferrari and me.”
“We’re both pleased with how things are going and want to keep working together,” he continued.
However, no new deal for Sainz has been announced as of yet. Despite two podium finishes, the Spaniard has slipped behind teammate Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship standings, trailing the Monegasque by 38 points after only three races.
Since his retirement in Melbourne, there has been talk of team orders being enforced at Ferrari at this early stage of the season, but Binotto has stated that he would not do so just yet, stating that both drivers are “free to battle” on the track.
In the 2021 season, Sainz narrowly beat Leclerc in the rankings, but he still has work to do to get back on good terms with his teammate for the rest of the year.
Mick Schumacher, a Ferrari junior driver, has made no secret of his intention to follow in his father’s footsteps and drive for the team one day if a seat becomes available.
