The 2025 driver market has been heating up for over two months now, and the man now at the center of it is Carlos Sainz. There have been speculations that multiple teams are looking to sign the Spanish driver. However, these speculations now seem to be picking up with reports emerging from the Italian media. Corriere dello Sport has reported that Sainz may have signed a deal with Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
A couple of weeks ago, even the Spanish media claimed that the 29-year-old could end up at the Silver Arrows. Now, as per Corriere’s report, Mercedes have offered Sainz a 1+1 year deal [option to extend for 2026], as seen in a post on X by Mercedes-AMG F1 news.
With Fernando Alonso extending his contract at Aston Martin at least until the end of 2026, Sainz’s options have become limited. Many experts deemed that Aston Martin could have been a decent option for Sainz. However, with Alonso choosing to stay at the Silverstone team, that door is now closed for the #55 driver.
Red Bull is another team that Sainz can potentially join in 2025. However, if Sergio Perez continues to perform well, then the Austrian team may not want to change the status quo and part ways with him.
So, Mercedes is the most likely top team seat that Sainz could end up securing. This would mean that Hamilton would have a straight swap of seats with the Spaniard.
How has Carlos Sainz ended up in this situation despite having performed well at Ferrari?
It all started when Lewis Hamilton made the blockbuster decision to move to Ferrari earlier this year. Hamilton switching away from Mercedes for 2025 not only left Carlos Sainz without a seat but also left a huge vacuum at the Brackley outfit.
There was a lot of chatter about what Sainz did wrong to not earn a contract extension with Ferrari. However, it was not the Spaniard who perhaps failed to deliver. It was just the possibility for Ferrari to sign a seven-time champion like Hamilton.
Meanwhile, since Charles Leclerc had already signed a multi-year contract extension beyond 2024, it was Sainz who had to make way. Reports claimed that Sainz also wanted a multi-year deal like his Monegasque teammate, but that Ferrari were not keen to provide him with one.
Thus, when Hamilton made up his mind to leave Mercedes, the Italian team secured his signature in a heartbeat. Sainz may have felt hard done by this entire situation, but he has accepted the reality. Even his performances so far in the 2024 season reflect that he is quite motivated to stay on the grid.
It is safe to say that Sainz is a hot property in this year’s driver market so far. Getting a win in Australia has only boosted his chances of securing a 2025 seat, and Mercedes seems like a good destination for him.
