Carlos Sainz has indicated that he will no longer discuss his Formula 1 career post-2024 until a final decision is made.
To depart Ferrari later this year, it is understood that Sainz turned down an offer from Audi-affiliated Sauber and reportedly tested the limits of Williams chief James Vowles' patience by missing multiple deadlines.
Vowles has subsequently shifted his focus to a 'plan B' for the 2025 season.
"Fundamentally, yes. Simple answer to it," he expressed at Silverstone. "I think we're on about Y or Z by now, just to be clear."
Intriguingly, Vowles' previous boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, has also rejoined the Sainz conversation, suggesting that 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli may not be prepared for a Formula 1 debut next season following a less impressive inaugural season in Formula 2.
"Antonelli, Sainz and (Max) Verstappen each have a 33.3 percent chance of being with us next year," he disclosed to Sky Italia. "This is the situation we are monitoring."
"We have to make the best decision for the team and also for Kimi, who is still young. We are waiting for more information."
At present, 29-year-old Sainz appears to be on the verge of finalizing a deal with Alpine, with the team's new advisor Flavio Briatore offering him high praise and a preliminary contract during the last race in Austria.
"Sainz has a draft contract on the table," Briatore stated. "It's now up to him to say yes or no."
Luigi Perna, a respected correspondent for La Gazzetta dello Sport, believes Sainz is "ready" to sign the contract. "Evidently, Briatore has presented him with a credible relaunch plan, including the abandonment of the Renault power unit to switch to Mercedes starting in 2026," he reported.
Toto Wolff is openly interested in expanding his customer engine program to new teams.
"We like the thought of replacing Aston Martin with another team because of the sheer learning you're doing," he acknowledged at Silverstone. "I think we're set up as an organisation that the more power units, the better it is in terms of accelerating some of the developments or the reliability."
Wolff confirmed that "exploratory discussions" have taken place with Alpine.
Should Alpine fail to secure Sainz's signature, the backup options include Jack Doohan or Mick Schumacher, who just days ago completed a head-to-head test session at Paul Ricard in a two-year-old Alpine car.
The test outcomes remain confidential, though the Bild newspaper speculated that Doohan outperformed Schumacher.
"The test went well for both of them, to be honest," Alpine team boss Bruno Famin remarked to Sky. "They had a very similar program and both did very well."
"They are both on the list and the list is still quite long," Famin added. "More than three names."
Pierre Gasly made his preference clear regarding the replacement for his departing teammate Esteban Ocon. "I want the fastest driver available in the paddock, and that is clearly Carlos at the moment," he stated.
"He is the most competitive, the one with the most experience - I think we would make an excellent duo.
"Jack and Mick are two good options but it's certain that Carlos would very clearly be the best option," Gasly added.
Amid the ongoing speculation and intrigue, Sainz has stated that discussions about his future and the constant media attention have become distracting.
He conveyed to Spanish journalists at Silverstone: "I have decided not to talk about my future anymore until I make my decision."
