Carlos Sainz insists he won't be rushed into deciding his Formula 1 future despite pressure from the teams willing to sign him.
The Spaniard is understood to have tabled offers from Sauber, Williams, and now Alpine, as he embarks on the next step of his career after four years at Ferrari.
Initial preferred options at Red Bull and Mercedes have come to no avail, and thus Sainz has the task of selecting the team he believes will be the most competitive prospect in the future.
However, the wait on his decision is creating a logjam in the current driver market, with many teams waiting for his move to decide which direction they go in next.
Autosport/Motorsport.com has previously reported that Williams is beginning to lose patience and has re-opened talks with other options, despite the Madrid-born driver remaining top of its shortlist.
Speaking after his podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, Sainz said that he wanted to enjoy his result before considering his next step in the driver market.
"As much as maybe there are some teams that are nervous or pressuring me, it's time for me also to enjoy this moment of being on a podium," he said.
"I'm going to be honest and straightforward with the teams, but it's such an important decision for me also that I'm going to take all the time that I need to take it.
"And if there's teams that cannot wait or are a bit impatient, I cannot do anything about it.
"It's going to be my future, my decision, and I'm going to try and be as honest as possible with everyone and give myself the time that I need."
Ahead of the Red Bull Ring weekend, Sainz did not wish to confirm which teams he was speaking to, and was not "going to give you a time frame, because it could keep changing."
Alpine is known to be an attractive option to Sainz and, although he stated before the weekend that he was not looking at current form, the French team's recent improvement will undoubtedly turn heads.
Despite team principal Bruno Famin's assertions that the Renault 2026 powertrain project was on course, it is understood that returning advisor Flavio Briatore is pushing for a switch to customer status with Mercedes power - something that the Italian hopes will sway Sainz's favour.
