Sir Lewis Hamilton will take the place of Carlos Sainz Jr. at Ferrari next year, leaving Mercedes. Early this year, when the seven-time announced his departure from the Silver Arrows, it shocked the fans. After all, the most decorated driver in the grid has been part of the German outfit since 2013. The kind of success the racer and the team have seen together has been quite unprecedented. From 2014 to 2021, there was no stopping Hamilton and the Brackley team. They won every constructor title in the turbo-hybrid era. Lewis Hamilton won six Driver’s World Championships in those eight years.
That’s how special the collaboration between Hamilton and Mercedes has been. Moreover, the seven-time champion credits the German team for sticking with him since he was 13 years old through thick and thin. Hence, the final season with the same team has been an emotional phase so far. Meanwhile, Toto Wolff and his team are busy looking for the best options to replace the great Briton. There were rumors that Mercedes might sign Carlos Sainz. However, at present, it looks highly unlikely.
Carlos Sainz Jr. Is No Longer A Potential Replacement For Lewis Hamilton At Mercedes
Recently, Craig Slater of Sky Sports News said that Mercedes is no longer looking for Carlos Sainz Jr. Toto Wolff has not yet confirmed who will be the new teammate of George Russell from next year onwards. Moreover, the Mercedes boss has often said that he would like Max Verstappen to replace Hamilton on his team. On the other hand, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is another favorite to get the seat at the Brackley unit. He is the young prodigy who everybody likes on the Mercedes team. Then, Audi made a lucrative offer to Carlos Sainz Jr. However, the Spaniard was waiting for a call from Red Bull or Mercedes. Hence, he has not committed anything to Audi yet. Lately, Craig Slater mentioned that there is a problem of “Time scale” between Mercedes and Sainz Jr.
The Sky Sports reporter said that they have already had the conversation. But both parties are not able to come to a mutual agreement as when they need to get a deal done. Mercedes is working towards a timescale for their decision making. But that is not fitting with what the Spanish driver wants for himself. Carlos Sainz Jr. wants to sort his contract in the next few weeks, says Slater. The Ferrari driver does not want to wait for months. That’s why it has been hard for Mercedes to land the most successful non-Red Bull driver since last year.
Slater Believes It’s Antonelli If Not Verstappen
Why would Mercedes not want to sign the reigning triple-time champion? First of all, the question is if Max Verstappen wants to leave Red Bull sooner than ever. The Milton Keynes outfit has been dealing with some serious internal problems and turmoils. But on the track, performance-wise, they are still the very best. Max has a clear shot to win his fourth title in a row, thanks to the RB20 car.
Hence, there is a good possibility that Verstappen won’t sign with Mercedes any time soon. Then, Craig Slater believes Toto Wolff will bring in the young Italian prodigy to their team. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the likeliest option to be George Russell’s new teammate.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.
