Having recently won the third race of his F1 career, Carlos Sainz has made himself a lucrative target for some top F1 teams. Red Bull was already interested but Sainz now caught the attention of Mercedes. With Lewis Hamilton leaving the Silver Arrows in 2025, Mercedes is looking for a suitable replacement, and Sainz could just be the driver Toto Wolff is looking for.
There are both young and experienced drivers available for Mercedes to choose from. Arguments work in favor of each contender, adding to the choices for Wolff. However, one driver Wolff mentioned in particular, as reported by RacingNews365 was Carlos Sainz.
“The ones that are available, or that could be interesting for us, they all have arguments in favour of them. Be it the very young ones, be it the very mature ones in the best years. Or Carlos [Sainz].”
The decision to finalize a replacement is not easy, because of the huge pool Wolff has to choose from. Hence, he wants to “step back and just monitor the situation.” With Sainz, the benefit of experience is something Mercedes stands to gain from. This gives the Madrid-born driver a slight advantage.
Speaking of experience, Fernando Alonso could be another viable option for Mercedes to look at. Earlier this season, his manager Flavio Briatore was spotted talking to Toto Wolff, sparking rumors of the 42-year-old’s move to Mercedes.
Toto Wolff has other choices to pick from too. If Alonso’s age and longevity turn out to be a problem, the Austrian boss could go after youngsters like Kimi Antonelli. The most bizarre and incredible rumor, however, has been that of Max Verstappen being linked to them. For that, Verstappen first has to leave Red Bull, a team which is utterly dominant on the track.
Christian Horner also playing with the possibility of signing Carlos Sainz
Doubts surround both Red Bull drivers’ futures with the team amid challenging circumstances. Given the unrest amid the team’s top management, reports suggest Verstappen might want to step away. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez is also out of a contract next year, and the Milton Keynes-based outfit isn’t too keen on offering him an extension. Hence, Red Bull is keeping an eye on alternative options. As such, Sainz is a driver on their radar.
At the Australian GP, Sainz ended Verstappen’s 9-race winning streak. Similarly, in Singapore last year, he ended the Dutchman’s 10-race winning streak. Hence, Christian Horner pointed Sainz’s knack for ending his team’s winning runs.
“Sometimes you’ve got to look outside the pool as well,” said Horner. Additionally, Horner jokingly referred to the Spanish driver as his team’s “nemesis.” Sainz has been the only driver to defeat Red Bull since the start of 2023, and he has done it twice. Given the same, Horner is slightly more inclined to partner up with his team’s ‘kryptonite.’
