SUMMARY
- Carlos Sainz, fresh from his Australian Grand Prix triumph, emerges as a top contender for Mercedes.
- Facing a Ferrari departure in 2025, Sainz anticipates offers, with Mercedes being a prominent option.
Carlos Sainz emerges as the prime contender to step into Lewis Hamilton’s shoes at Mercedes, backed by his recent triumph at the Australian Grand Prix. This victory holds even greater significance as Sainz battled through recovery from an appendix surgery mere weeks before. The Spaniard was replaced by an F2 rookie, the 18-year-old Oliver Bearman for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The race at the Albert Park Circuit witnessed two of the top competitors of the Ferrari driver, Max Verstappen, and Hamilton falter. The duo had to retire to the pits minutes into the race due to technical errors. The 7x champion, upon recalling the events that led to the DNF, labeled 2024 to be the worst start of a season in his entire career.
As Sainz faces the impending loss of his Ferrari seat to Hamilton in 2025, he finds himself currently without a permanent spot in the upcoming season. However, offers are expected to flood in swiftly, with Mercedes presenting a guaranteed opening.
Carlos Sainz: A contender for Mercedes?
The 29-year-old driver is in his most impressive form with back-to-back victories, notably his stellar performance in Australia, which has firmly placed him in contention for the coveted Mercedes seat. After some early conjecture about drivers like Fernando Alonso or the emerging star at Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Sainz ended up being Toto Wolff’s preferred pick due to his outstanding sprint.
📰: Toto Wolff acknowledges the “difficult choice” ahead as he considers options to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Among the contenders is Carlos Sainz, whose recent success, including a win at the Australian GP, has bolstered his candidacy. Wolff acknowledges that each… pic.twitter.com/T0SeVPOx5G
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) March 25, 2024
Nonetheless, the Mercedes team principal is unwavering in his decision-making, willing to ponder matters thoroughly before agreeing on Hamilton’s replacement. Sainz clinched his first win of the 2024 F1 season in Melbourne. Verstappen’s exit cleared the path for him to reach the podium with Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. It is important to note that Sainz is the only non-Red Bull driver to earn victory in 2023.
During his talks with the media, Sainz stated, “I’m still jobless for next year, so I guess this [win] is good for me” after the race at Melbourne. With a dozen seats up for grabs in 2025, the Spanish driver finds himself at the epicenter of the driver market.
Christian Horner identifies Sainz as potential Red Bull driver for 2025
The British team boss has hinted strongly that Carlos Sainz is being considered for a Red Bull seat next season. Red Bull is another possible home for him, in addition to Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Sauber which will transition to Audi in 2026. The suspicion grows stronger by the ambiguity surrounding Verstappen’s future and Sergio Perez’s contract amidst internal turmoil in the team.
Could Red Bull sign Carlos Sainz for 2025??
Christian Horner made a point of bringing Sainz up when asked about Ricciardo and Tsunoda’s future Red Bull Racing prospects today… pic.twitter.com/GMv2pLB2H8
— The Race (@wearetherace) March 24, 2024
Horner had recently announced that Sainz seems to be the only driver capable of challenging Red Bull. He said, “I mean Carlos is the only driver that’s beaten Red Bull, so he appears to be our nemesis. I mean based on a performance like that you couldn’t rule any possibility out.” The 50-year-old appeared to be in favor of appointing the Australian GP winner.
He further added, “I think you just want to take the time and obviously Checo [Perez] was compromised today. He’s had a great start in the season too so we’re not in any desperate rush.” Red Bull has alternatives for 2025, including Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. However, their performance at VCARB since the latest season kicked off has been subpar.