Carlos Sainz receives fresh approach with Alpine three-driver shortlist hint

Speaking to media ahead of the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly said there are “three good options” for his 2025 Alpine teammate — perhaps giving Carlos Sainz Jr. a fresh shot at a good seat.

Ever since it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Ferrari in 2025, Carlos Sainz has become the most sought-after racer on the Formula 1 grid… but he still hasn’t signed a contract. Could he be joining Alpine?

Pierre Gasly: “I welcome the fastest guy out there”

At this point, there are few teams to which Carlos Sainz Jr.’s name hasn’t been linked — but comments from Pierre Gasly during Thursday’s driver press conference ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix look to pin the Spanish racer as an excellent candidate for the second Alpine seat.

When asked who he wanted as his teammate for 2025, Gasly played it cool, responding, “I said it already.

“I mean, you know, I think Alpine, the team has good options on the table. At the end of the day, it’s not up to me.

“I welcome the fastest guy out there. We all know who it is.

“But then, yeah, I mean, at the moment, we’ve got to wait. But yeah, the team has three good options.”

The “fastest guy out there” is assumed to be Carlos Sainz.

Gasly was asked if he had gone out of his way to speak to Carlos, perhaps about joining the team.

“I did my fair share of the job, but ultimately I believe in the projects we’re building with Alpine and I always back the team up,” Gasly said.

“Now it’s up to him to make his own decision.”

Get up to speed on the F1 2025 driver market:

👉 F1 2025 driver line-up: Who is already confirmed for the 2025 grid?

👉 Revealed: The seven drivers out of contract at the end of the F1 2024 season

Carlos Sainz was one of the first drivers in the throes of an early 2025 silly season; before racing got underway in 2024, Ferrari announced that it would be replacing Sainz with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Since then, Sainz has looked to be in talks with countless F1 teams — but seats are filling fast. If he doesn’t go to Alpine, his only options are Haas, Sauber, Mercedes, VCARB, or Williams.

However, several other quick drivers remain out of a contract heading into 2025, including Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Kevin Magnussen. Those drivers will inevitably be interested in pursuing one of the remaining seats, too.

Speaking to media ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Sainz stated that he felt no need to rush his contract negotiations.

He stated he was “conscious” of how long his negotiations have taken, and that many teams are waiting for him to make a move before they speak to anyone else.

“But at the same time, I don’t think it’s going to change [anything], because it’s only the time that I’m changing,” Sainz said, “I’m not changing probably the outcome.

“All the teams by now have their priorities and their decisions made depending on each scenario.”

So, will Carlos Sainz join Alpine? Only time will tell.

Read next: Explained: Why Ferrari’s high-speed bouncing problem isn’t easily solved