Motorsport.com can reveal that Alpine has made a late bid to try to secure the services of Carlos Sainz for next year as it pushes to move up the Formula 1 grid.
Just when it looked like Sainz had been left choosing between Williams and Sauber/Audi to secure a seat for next year, sources revealed that negotiations with Alpine have intensified.
It has even been speculated that Sainz was made an attractive contract offer to commit his future to the team.
If until a few months ago the Alpine option might not have been very advantageous, with a difficult start to the campaign that left its A524 at the back of the grid, now things are different.
In last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, both drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon made it into Q3 and placed ninth and tenth respectively, securing a double points finish.
It is the second consecutive time that Alpine has brought both drivers to the points, as also happened in Canada, while it is the third consecutive race that has placed in the top ten.
This run of form is in contrast to what Sainz’s other options have endured in recent games.
Sauber, which will become the Audi team in 2026, has yet to score a point this season and its best result was 11th place in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
While Williams has two points under its belt, thanks to Alex Albon’s ninth place at the Monaco Grand Prix, the team suffered a double retirement in Canada and had a lackluster performance in Spain, where they finished 18th and 1st. 20th place.
Alpine’s late bid comes just days after former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore was appointed special adviser to Renault chief executive Luca de Meo.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
One of the Cuneo manager’s responsibilities is to choose the drivers, and he was seen with de Meo in intense discussions up and down the Barcelona paddock during a visit to the Spanish GP.
Briatore has always been known for his aggressiveness in acquiring top drivers, having famously lured Michael Schumacher away from Jordan’s clutches in 1991 to sign him to the Benetton team that would help him become world champion.
So, while Alpine had previously said it was happy to sit back and see what the options were for its driver lineup for 2025, it appears Briatore wants to go to the front and find the best talent available.
At the moment, with Ocon leaving at the end of this year and likely joining Haas, Alpine has no drivers secured, as Gasly is also out of contract.
Sainz is anxious to define his future in F1 so as not to distract himself from the rest of the season, but at the same time he doesn’t want to make a hasty decision before having carefully assessed the pros and cons of everything.
His father, Carlos Sainz Sr, was seen visiting several motorhomes – including Sauber and Williams – during the race morning in Spain, as discussions continue over his son’s future.
Speaking after sixth place in the Spanish GP, Sainz himself said he was still not sure how long it would take to decide what to do.
Asked by Motorsport.com whether his future would be defined by the Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz replied: “It could be. It’s not certain, but it could be.”
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