Teams starting to lose patience with Carlos Sainz as outfits target F1 race winners as possible alternatives: Reports

It is being reported that F1 teams are starting to lose patience as Carlos Sainz looks to find a suitable option for himself for the 2025 season. The Spanish driver has been the hottest property on the driver market after it was announced that he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at the Maranello outfit next year.

Sauber/Audi were the early frontrunners to bag the services of the 29-year-old after the doors at Red Bull and Mercedes were shut to him. But Sainz has been left unsure about the progression of the team that would become Audi from the 2026 season onwards and hence has not jumped at the opportunity to race alongside Nico Hulkenberg as yet.

Ahead of the Spanish GP, it was reported that he was very close to signing with the Williams F1 team to race alongside Alex Albon for next year and become an integral part of the Grove-based outfit's potential resurgence. But in Barcelona, Alpine also ramped up their pursuit of Carlos Sainz's services.

However, as per Motorsport.com, Audi and Williams F1 have started to lose some patience regarding the current Ferrari driver's decision about his future. The teams in question have started to look at other alternative options like Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas for the 2025 season. Both drivers are prime targets for the aforementioned teams as well as for Haas F1.

Neither Sainz nor the teams in question have commented on the matter as yet and are waiting on the former's decision.

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Carlos Sainz analyzes his qualifying for the Austrian GP

Carlos Sainz stated that his Saturday was more positive than his Friday, where he struggled in the Sprint Qualifying. The Ferrari driver will start the Austrian GP in P4 behind George Russell and was just a few hundredths away from outqualifying the Mercedes man.

As per F1.com, the Spaniard said:

"It was a more positive day than yesterday: we have gained more speed and made some changes that have definitely helped us overall. We are still struggling in fast corners but we are working very hard with the team to understand how to address it.

"We are where I imagined we could be, but I feel that we are improving and we were very close to P3. The goal for tomorrow is clearly the podium: we know it will be difficult, but we will give it our all, as we always do."

Carlos Sainz finished the Sprint race on Saturday in P5 after initially getting ahead of Russell for P4 but was overtaken by the Brit in the final phase of the race. In the main race, Sainz would hope for a better result and to challenge the McLaren of Lando Norris as well as the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.