Teams open to selling Perez or Sainz to Ferrari

The respective bosses of the two drivers most strongly linked with a move to Ferrari say they are open to talking with the Italian team about a buyout. Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz have three things in common: they are in top form, and they are each being linked with a 2017 Ferrari seat.

And the third thing they have in common is that they are both firmly under contract to their existing teams. Force India team manager Andy Stevenson says he wouldn't even blame Mexican Perez if he is dreaming of Ferrari. "Everyone on the grid does. It is legitimate to dream of Ferrari," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "Sergio is in the form of his life."

However, the 26-year-old is firmly under contract for 2017. And Force India's operating officer Otmar Szafnauer said the team is not willing to let him go cheaply. "Ferrari gets three times as much from the rights holders as we do. So they should also have the money to buy out a driver from us," he said.

It appears the same goes for Spaniard Sainz, whose 2017 contract 'option' has just been taken up by Red Bull. The Toro Rosso driver has been linked with a move to Renault for next year, and now Dr Helmut Marko says: "If Ferrari pay, we could talk about it." (GMM)