Formula One driver Carlos Sainz finds himself in the center of a driver market frenzy after Alpine surprisingly emerged as a contender for his services next season.
Sainz was previously thought to be mulling offers from Williams and Sauber/Audi, but Alpine’s strong showing has upped the ante.
The French team has reportedly tabled a lucrative contract to secure Sainz for the long term. This comes on the heels of a remarkable turnaround for Alpine.
Their A524 car, which languished at the back of the grid earlier this season, has shown significant improvement.
Both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon recently achieved a double-point finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, highlighting the team’s upward trajectory. This momentum stands in stark contrast to the struggles faced by Sainz’s other options.
Sauber, soon to be rebranded under the Audi banner, is yet to score a point this season. While Williams has managed a few points thanks to Alex Albon, their recent results have been far from impressive.
This aggressive move comes after a period of relative inaction by Alpine, who had previously indicated they would wait before finalizing their driver lineup.
The catalyst for this sudden shift in strategy appears to be the controversial appointment of Flavio Briatore as a special advisor.
Briatore, notorious for his aggressive pursuit of top talent, is believed to be leading the charge in Alpine’s driver recruitment efforts.