Carlos Sainz is confident he has 'good options' as he weighs up his future beyond Ferrari next season - with the free agent's blistering start to 2024 prompting links to Mercedes, Red Bull, and Sauber

Carlos Sainz says the ‘good options’ remain on the table as the sport’s most wanted future free agent weighs up his future from the 2025 season.

The Spaniard has responded in style to the crushing blow of losing his spot with the Scuderia for next season to Lewis Hamilton, staging a remarkable recovery from appendicitis to claim victory at the Australian Grand Prix earlier this season.

That has been the highlight of a stellar start to 2024 where the Ferrari driver has consistently outperformed team-mate Charles Leclerc in both qualifying and on race day, leading to the 29-year-old being linked with a switch to Red Bull or Mercedes.

There are also strong suggestions that Sainz could end up at Sauber. While that would represent a backwards step on the grid currently, there is optimism that the team could be competing for podiums when they become Audi and the new regulations kick-in from the 2026 season.

‘I think for sure all my best options are still open, which I think is a positive thing and something which requires a bit of time given the situation of the market,’ Sainz told reporters ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

‘It’s going to take some time for everyone to make up their mind and make their decisions but the good options are still open.

‘As a driver I’m always going to try and look for the fastest option available, especially given the form I’m in.

‘I think given the right car and the right year, I can win races and be on the podium like I’m proving this year. That’s my number one priority.’

A third-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix a fortnight ago saw Sainz close the gap on Leclerc in the drivers standings to just four points, despite the Spaniard taking part in one race fewer than Leclerc after missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the wake of his operation.

Sainz has stepped up his fitness work in the week that has passed since the Japanese Grand Prix and even headed out for a bike ride around Monaco with two-time Tour De France winner Tadej Pogacar.

Between that gruelling excursion and a guest appearance at the Monte Carlo Masters, Sainz admits his phone hasn't stopped ringing.

‘It gets to a point when the sooner everything develops, the better. At the same time it’s not like it’s affecting my performances at all. But it’s better to take it out of your head,’ he explained.

‘It is true that in my off weeks there is a lot of background (noise) and phone calls going on but once you get to a race weekend and sit down here on a Thursday and answer three or four questions about your future and other things.

'But for me you get into the engineering room, put your helmet on and all these noises disappear.’