As Kevin Magnussen claims that Carlos Sainz is the 'cork in the bottle' of the 2025 driver market, the Spaniard admits that he just as keen to secure his future.

With Mercedes never looking a serious option, it appears the Spaniard must choose between Williams and Sauber, the latter in anticipation of Audi's arrival in 2026.

However, the dithering is causing frustration among his fellow drivers, with Magnussen admitting that the Spaniard is currently "the cork in the bottle", as the likes of the Dane, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Guanyu Zhou seek to secure their berths.

Speaking in Barcelona, Sainz admits that he too wants to be able to announce something as soon as possible, as the waiting is preoccupying him.

"The latest is that a decision will be taken very soon," he told reporters. "I don't want to wait any longer... it's getting to a point where it's obviously taking space out of my head for quite a few weeks and months, and I think it's obviously time to make a decision.

"I'm still not sure one way or another," he admitted, "it's still something that I'm discussing with my team and brainstorming.

"It's been a very hectic few couple of weeks after Canada, so I haven't had time to really sit down and take a decision. And this is what I will target in the next few weeks."

The Spaniard admits that in making his decision for 2025, he has to consider the longer term, as the following season sees the regulations overhaul which could seriously shake up the order.

"I think 2026, guessing now in 2024 who's going to be performing better, it's almost impossible," he said. "I used the term 'a bit of a lottery', or a 'coin toss' to see who's going to be quicker in '26, given that the regulation is so different. So 2025 becomes important at that stage if I cannot predict '26 and I don't know who's going to be performing better.

"But it is also the long term," he added. "It is also trying to understand the power unit side. It's trying to understand the team dynamics. All these factors come into play when taking a decision. And that's why it's taking long and it's taking time for me to find some time within myself to take the decision."