Vasseur keen to resolve Sainz's future by end of season

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur wants to finalize Carlos Sainz’s future one way or another before the end of this season so both parties have clarity heading into 2024.

Sainz and teammate Charles Leclerc are both out of contract at the end of next year, and Leclerc says initial discussions about a new deal between himself and Ferrari have begun. For Sainz, Vasseur appears a little more cautious, stating he simply wants to have a decision made on whether the Spaniard remains with the team or moves on by the end of this year.

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“I think that with Carlos we are fully aligned, we had the same question hundreds of times and we always gave the same reply,” Vasseur said. “We have time to discuss, we still have 18 months of contract in front of us. We both want to start the next season with a clear situation, that means we have to take action and a decision before the end of this season, and we still have four or five months in front of us to decide. But we are fully, fully aligned on this point with Carlos and his management and we will have the discussion soon.”

As well as drivers, Vasseur says he has been working on recruitments to bolster Ferrari’s personnel but that gardening leave periods mean there are some extremely long lead times until certain names will be able to join.

“It’s a very long process and the consequence of that is that we have some people that will be joining us in a couple of months, some other people will be starting at Ferrari on January 1st next year, others on July 1st next year and some will start at the beginning of 2025," he said.

“It’s a very long-term process and it’s a little bit frustrating because you have the feeling that the results of your work will only be there in two or three years from today. But, on the other hand, if you don’t start this process you’ll never get to the end of it, so you have to keep pushing on with it, and I think we’re doing some good steps forward.

“We are making good (progress with) recruitment, but we never give you names before we finalize everything, and before we do a deal with the current team of the guys. It’s important to keep it confidential and it’s important to work in good faith, with the correct approach. I don’t want to jeopardize something but soon you will have some announcements.”