The man of the moment is him, Carlos Sainz. The victory in Australia relaunched the ambitions of the Spanish pilot who he's doing his best to be 'the desire' of F1 teams. After Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari, Mercedes and Audi have become serious options. Even Horner doesn't hide the possibility of seeing the number 55 aboard Red Bull.
But what would be the perfect team for him today? What are the possibilities available to Carlos?
Red Bull option
"An operation not to be ruled out". These are the words of the Red Bull Team Principal when commenting on Carlos Sainz's performances at the start of the season F1. Words that are the result of an uncertain future for both Sergio Perez, whose contract expires in 2024, and Max Verstappen, despite the contract binding him to the brand until 2028, increasingly distant after the 'Horner Case'.
Perhaps the best option from certain points of view for the Spanish rider. An operation that would bring Carlos Sainz a very respectable single-seater in 2025, even if with the doubt of an upset team in the coming years. A solid rider to restart and to think about a title in the short term.
Audi option
Already in the 2023, in the current season, there had been rumors of a possible arrival for Carlos Sainz in 2026 in Team Stake F1 which for that year will change to Audi. The Spaniard could therefore arrive in the team a season early in preparation for 2026 where ambitions seem to be high.
Andreas Seidl, current sporting director, knows the 29-year-old Spaniard well after the experience in McLaren e could take advantage of Guanyu Zhou's expiring contract at the end 2024 and family ties between the Volkswagen Group and Carlos Senior, a former rally driver who had just won the Dakar, to bring Carlos to Audi.
Mercedes option
A logical consequence could be a team swap in F1 with Hamilton at Ferrari and Carlos Sainz at Mercedes. A possibility that absolutely cannot be ruled out as it has already been explored by Toto Wolff, both in the past as a hypothetical replacement for Valtteri Bottas, and recently.
The Russell-Sainz pairing is not impossible to imagine, but it is still not the best for both parties. In addition to the less than fantastic performances of the latest Brackley cars, one could also add the possible tensions due to the role of first driver.
A risky choice, which could also slow down the arrival of Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1. If the young Mercedes Academy driver convinces in his first year in F2, promotion cannot be ruled out. A stagnation like that of Russell in Williams could be a "waste".
To materialize it Hamilton-Sainz exchange there is a need not only for the two parties to agree, but also for Max Verstappen. Only if he were to continue his journey in Red Bull could it really happen. Toto Wolff's first option must be Max Verstappen to restart.
