Carlos Sainz has dismissed recent speculation linking him with an audacious switch to lead Audi’s future Formula 1 venture.
Audi is scheduled to arrive in F1 for the first time in its history in 2026 as part of a strategic collaboration with the Sauber team that will also see the German marque develop its own engine.
Swiss media outlet Blick reported earlier this week that reports in the Spanish press were gathering momentum linking Sainz with a move away from Ferrari to join the Audi project.
However, Sainz, who has a deal to the end of 2024, has categorically denied the rumours, insisting his desire is to remain with Ferrari into the future.
“It surprises me a lot, hearing things about 2026 when I don’t even have a contract for 2025,” the 28-year-old told Spanish newspaper Marca.
“It surprises me that people invent things so much. In some ways, it makes me laugh. In other ways, it annoys me that there are these uncorroborated rumours.
“Nobody will ever go to that journalist (that started the rumour) and verify it.
“Because the aim is to stay at Ferrari for many years, I am very comfortable here, I’m living a dream, and this is my objective.”
With Ferrari’s evolutionary SF-23 car failing to build on the promise of last season, Sainz has endured an unspectacular start to his third season in red.
Despite outscoring his team-mate across the opening three races, Charles Leclerc’s advances have been hamstrung by reliability woes and subsequent grid penalties.
Sainz has been particularly unsatisfied with his performance over a single lap in 2023, with the ex-McLaren driver’s best qualifying position only being fourth place in the opening round.
Having recovered to the front of the field by the time a late red flag was flown at the last race in Australia, Sainz threw away a fourth-place finish when he tagged Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin round at Turn 1 on the restart, resulting in a five-second penalty that dropped him out of the points.
With Charles Leclerc already out of the running on the opening lap and Ferrari unsuccessful in overturning Sainz’s penalty, the Scuderia languish in fourth in the Constructors’ standings.
Both Leclerc and Sainz retain contracts with Ferrari to the end of the 2024 season, meaning next year could spell widespread speculation ahead of a crunch period for their respective futures.
Meanwhile, the Sauber-owned team, ran under the guise of Alfa Romeo and set to transform into Audi come 2026, has sustained an indifferent beginning to the latest campaign.
While Valtteri Bottas was classified as an impressive eighth in Bahrain, the Finn has spent the last two races lagging behind at the back, mysteriously off the pace.
His team-mate Zhou Guanyu, on the other hand, has endured a much smoother time and was able to profit from the ensuing late carnage at Albert Park to notch his first points of the year.
The Hinwil-based outfit currently lies eighth in the Championship on six points, with Audi’s top brass previously underlining it expects to be competitive within three seasons of its arrival.
