The hunt for Lewis Hamilton's successor at Mercedes has taken another turn, with Carlos Sainz unexpectedly re-entering the conversation.
Earlier this year, team boss Toto Wolff had seemingly ruled out Sainz, who is leaving Ferrari for 2025, due to the Austrian’s delayed decision-making process involving its protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli but also Max Verstappen, on the off chance that the Dutchman might feel compelled to leave Red Bull.
Wolff’s strategy allows Mercedes to play the waiting game, with Antonelli a clear backup solution for 2025.
But all signs now point to Verstappen remaining with Red Bull next season, while Antonelli’s average results with Prema in the FIA Formula 2 Championship suggest that a promotion to F1 for the young Italian might be premature.
All this has brought Sainz make into the frame for 2025, according to Wolff.
"Kimi and George [Russell] have been our junior drivers for a long time and I would like to stay faithful to the programme," Wolff explained in an interview with Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo newspaper.
"Having said that, with Carlos, we’d have a sure thing, especially in a very tight championship next year. If our car is good, to have another driver who is definitely going to be very competitive would be a help.
"There are certainly many arguments in favour of him, so yes, he is (an option). If we have more time to decide, Carlos is definitely still an opportunity.
"Of course, he needs to make his decision based on what he does with the other teams," Wolff said.
Both Williams and Audi-Sauber have publicly stated their interest in Sainz’s services, and both teams have reportedly sent the outgoing Ferrari charger a concrete offer.
However, Alpine has also made a late bid for Sainz’s talent, a move instigated by its recently appointed executive advisor Flavio Briatore.
The whisper in the Silverstone paddock this weekend is that Alpine is confident of reaching a deal with Sainz, but the three-time Grand Prix winner continues to hold his cards close to his chest.
He insists he’ll take his time to decide his future although his own decision-making process has become a distraction in this year’s campaign.
"I thank Flavio for his words, because they come from someone who has been here for a long time and has seen great drivers,” Sainz told the media on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s British GP.
"From Monday to Thursday I have a lot of calls, a lot of meetings with my team and the teams I speak to, to try to understand and get a perspective on the situation," he said.
Flavio Briatore with Carlos Sainz Snr.
"It’s stressful and time-consuming instead of switching off and recharging. The head is somewhere else.
"But I’m not a hypocrite. I won’t deny that there are always more benefits when you’re in a stable contractual situation. I won’t deny that," Sainz admitted.
"But I think I will take all the time I can to make the decision, because it influences the next years of my life and my career and it is legitimate for me to take my time," he concluded.
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