Carlos Sainz is keeping his thoughts to himself amidst emerging gossip that Mercedes has definitively declined him for the 2025 season - as new rumours suggest he might be nearing an agreement with Williams.
"I can't confirm it," stated the outgoing Ferrari racer in Monaco, in response to direct inquiries regarding his reported snub by Mercedes.
Only last week in Imola, Sainz mentioned that the current hectic period of driver moves in F1, where he plays a key role, is momentarily paused.
"I think everyone depends on everyone," he mentioned, amid reports that a lucrative proposal from Audi-owned Sauber appears to be on the table.
"But I can say that once I make a decision, everything else will happen very quickly."
Meanwhile, various competitors are also waiting to see how the scenario unfolds, including the Alpine pair, the present Sauber duo, Kevin Magnussen, newcomer Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, and others.
"As I've always said, if you do a good job on track there should be nothing stopping you in the future," Alpine's Esteban Ocon, also managed by Mercedes' Toto Wolff, commented. "So we will see."
Valtteri Bottas, who is also rumored to be eyeing a deal to return to Williams, when queried about any progress since Imola, remarked, "Unfortunately, no."
"I haven't signed anywhere at the moment," the Finnish driver continued. "Hopefully it will be in the coming weeks. I'm confident - no panic."
Bottas, aged 34, humorously noted that his recent visit to the Williams motorhome at Imola was merely because he had run out of coffee.
"I would say that we are not talking to just one team," he disclosed. "Which is good. I have a clear priority, and I'm not saying what it is, but I do have one."
On another note, Kevin Magnussen acknowledges that a recent dip in performance and some debates over his racing style have unfortunately coincided with a sensitive time in the market.
"I'm not worried about the contract situation," the Haas driver stated.
"I want to race in Formula 1 next year, but the situation is that sometimes a few bad races can reduce your market value. It's often said that you're only as good as your last race, and that's true."
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