Mercedes has been looking at a lot of options for the replacement of Lewis Hamilton. Early in the year, the Silver Arrows got a big shock that the seven-time champion had decided to switch to Ferrari next year. For a long time, it was unthinkable that the German outfit could fight for the title without the great British racer. Even now a lot of fans are in disbelief that Hamilton won’t wear the uniform of the Silver Arrows from 2025. In 2013, the former McLaren driver decided to join Mercedes after the late great Niki Lauda pursued him.
That same year, Toto Wolff joined the German outfit as the team principal. Since then, the epic collaboration between Hamilton and Wolff began. From 2014 to 2021, Mercedes never lost a constructor championship. On the other hand, the great English racer won six Driver’s World Championships, adding to his maiden title win with McLaren in 2008. Hence, finding a replacement for Hamilton would be very tough for the German outfit. But it seems like they have made up their mind about who’ll replace the seven-time champion. And it’s probably not Carlos Sainz Jr.
What Happened During The Mercedes Seat Talks With Carlos Sainz Jr.?
The Spanish driver has been the most successful non-Red Bull driver since last year in terms of GP wins. He won the 2023 Singaporean Grand Prix. Later, in the ongoing season, Carlos Sainz Jr. won the Australian GP. On the other hand, there have been only two other non-Red Bull drivers to win a race since last year. Lando Norris won the Miami GP this year. Then, the teammate of Sainz, Charles Leclerc won the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix. Now, both Norris and Leclerc have more years to go under the contract with their respective teams. But Ferrari has let Sainz go to replace him with Lewis Hamilton.
It could have been a perfect swap if Mercedes signed Sainz to replace the seven-time champion. But it seems like that’s not happening. Lately, Toto Wolff told Sky Sports Deutschland that they just want to fix the seat with Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes boss calls the Italian prodigy “Our future.” Moreover, Wolff added that they want to work for the “Young drivers.” Adding to that, the Mercedes boss mentioned that they informed the same idea to Carlos Sainz Jr. as well. However, the German outfit has not confirmed the seat yet. There can be some other driver that could be of interest to them.
The Spanish Driver Says, “Nothing’s Locked In”
Recently, there have been rumors that the Ferrari driver has already signed a deal with a team for his F1 future. Moreover, rumor suggests Audi has made a lucrative offer to the Spanish driver. Lately, though, in Canada, Sainz Jr. rubbished off claims suggesting he has already signed with a team. Carlos said that he has not locked in anything with any team yet.
He said he is aware of the false reports that suggest he has signed with a team already. Moreover, Carlos Sainz said it is funny to read reports suggesting, “I’ve signed with Williams? It’s just funny.” Adding to that, Sainz said he will consider everything before he signs the contract. Then, he will be the first to tell the media if there will be anything to announce.
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