Before the start of the Spanish weekend, there were persistent rumors in the paddock of the Barcelona circuit that Carlos Sainz’s new contract would be announced today, and the authors of most versions were inclined to believe that Williams would make an announcement about this.
However, nothing of the sort happened, and Carlos himself once again made it clear that he still had not made up his mind. But as soon as Flavio Briatore appeared in the paddock, he was immediately spotted in the company of Carlos Sainz Sr., the driver’s father.
Since Alpine confirmed on Friday that Briatore will now become an advisor, not even to the team, but in fact to the head of the Renault group, Luca de Meo, this has given rise to a new wave of rumors: the European press, including the De Spanish writes that Sainz is being persuaded to return to Enstone.
All this is happening against the backdrop of rumors that Alpine could give up its own engines and become a Mercedes customer in 2026, and in theory this could become another fairly serious argument.
During the Spanish Grand Prix, the circumstances turned out to be such that both Alpine drivers earned points, this time even ahead of Aston Martin.
Yesterday’s conversation between Briatore and Sainz Sr. was outwardly informal, but on the same day Flavio also met with Luca de Meo, which gave rise to rumors. The question is whether they were too late in their persuasion, as it is possible that Carlos has actually already made a decision, it just hasn’t been announced yet.
But this is not the only question asked by the Spanish press: will there be a special condition in the theoretically possible agreements with Alpine that could allow Sainz to leave the team if, for example, a more attractive vacancy becomes available. For example, if Max Verstappen becomes a Mercedes driver in 2026, Red Bull Racing may be interested in the services of the Spanish driver.
All that remains are the words of Carlos, also spoken in the Barcelona paddock: “The decision will be made very soon, I don’t want to wait any longer because this issue has been bothering me for several months.”
It’s logical to assume this will happen in the coming weeks, if not days.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
