Herbert advises Sainz to consider a switch to Audi

Carlos Sainz does not hide the fact that the good results he has been showing recently have an influence on his negotiations with Ferrari; Moreover, other teams are showing interest in the Spanish driver.

The start of the season was not easy for him, but after the summer break he improved noticeably and reached the podium twice, including winning the Singapore Grand Prix, and this strengthens his position in the discussions about the extension of his contract .

When Carlos was asked in an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS whether the time had come for such negotiations, Carlos replied: “Yes, the team understood this, and we understood this even before the races in Monza and Singapore. Of course, negotiation is always better when you perform at a high level.

But even before these two races, we, Ferrari, Frederic Vasseur, in short, everyone already had the desire to tackle this problem. Even when I was criticized, my affairs were not so bad, but now I can’t say that everything is just great. But each race should be taken separately, because successes and failures in our sport always alternate, so the main thing is that you need to fully concentrate on yourself and your work.

You have to know what helps you and what hinders you. At the same time, good races should become a thing of the past just as quickly as bad ones. We all have strengths and weaknesses. However, I don’t want to talk about weaknesses because we are Formula 1 drivers and no one here has weaknesses.”

Some time ago, talk started in the paddock that Audi was showing interest in Sainz, because the German company was creating its own factory team based on the Swiss Sauber, which currently participates in the championship under the name Alfa Romeo.

If this is true, Carlos may be tempted to switch teams once his Ferrari contract expires in 2024. Johnny Herbert, a former Formula 1 driver, advises him to do just that.

“When a brand of Audi’s caliber comes to Formula 1, the highest expectations are attached to it,” London’s The Mirror quotes Herbert. “A team like this will try to get the best, and Carlos has proven that he has all the right qualities, except he needs to perform more consistently.

We saw at Monza that if he does everything right, he can be successful. It suits Audi. Just like Carlos Sainz Sr. he has the right mental attitude. He is distinguished not only by a very strong psyche, but also by excellent knowledge of the technical side of things, and this is exactly what Audi needs. Although I think he wants to stay at Ferrari.

Valtteri Bottas also says that he would like to participate in the championship in 2026 (when Audi makes its debut in the championship), and he also has all the necessary qualities. But everything will depend on Audi’s expectations. It is possible that they initially decide to see what level the team is at.

But Audi must have ambitious plans from the start. So it will be like this, I know this company, I drove for their team at Le Mans. They will do everything they can to succeed.”