Sainz wants to 'settle' his future with Ferrari ahead of 2024 season

Carlos Sainz has expressed hope that his Formula 1 future with the Ferrari team will be settled “before the start of next year”.

The Spanish driver joined Ferrari in 2021 and after a strong first season he was rewarded with a new two-year contract until 2024 at the start of last season.

But amid rumors of Ferrari potentially courting Lewis Hamilton, Sainz’s future with the Italian team remains undecided beyond the end of next year.

Sainz, however, aims to settle this before the start of 2024.

“Obviously I don’t want to reveal what my strategies are in terms of contract negotiations because that’s something I never divulge. But if you’ve heard me in my interviews in the past, I’ve always said that I liked going into an F1 season knowing where I’m going to race the next year because I had that experience at Renault and I didn’t like it. Not at all. It’s all settled. target.”

When asked if that meant he would ideally want it to be “settled” at some point during this year, Sainz replied: “Not necessarily this year, but before the start of next year or early next year.”

Pressed to know if he spoke to Frederic Vasseur about the Hamilton rumours, Sainz says he hasn’t.

“Honestly, no, because at the end of the day I feel like I don’t think I need it. I know at this time of year there are always these kinds of rumors, it “is the crazy season. It’s the story of our lives at this time of year. I’ve been in F1 long enough, over eight years, to know it’s that time of year.”

“Back when I was younger and a beginner I would have read the media a lot more, tried to learn a lot more, now I prefer to focus on my weekends and don’t care what others say or do. Focusing on myself has always worked well for me in the past.”