Toto Wolff has shed some light on the conversations held with Carlos Sainz regarding a potential seat at Mercedes for the 2025 F1 season. With Sainz out of a job after Lewis Hamilton took his Ferrari spot, speculation about his next move has been rampant.
Initially linked to Audi, Mercedes, and Red Bull, Sainz has seen his options dwindle. Red Bull announced a two-year extension for Sergio Perez, leaving Mercedes as his only top-team possibility. However, Wolff seems to have his eyes set on another option.
According to Wolff, Mercedes is highly considering promoting their junior driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, from Formula 2 to Formula 1. Wolff mentioned to Sky Sports Deutschland: ‘We just want to concentrate on Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He is our future. We want to work for the young drivers. We also said that to Carlos.’
Despite the clear preference for Antonelli, Wolff hasn’t completely shut the door on other possibilities. ‘We haven’t made a decision yet. There are others that could also be of interest to us,’ he added.
In the meantime, Sainz has been vocal about rumors surrounding his future. In Canada, he dismissed reports claiming he had signed with another team. The Spanish daily, The Objective, suggested he had a deal confirmed by a law firm in Madrid, but Sainz found these claims laughable.
‘The only thing I can tell you is there is nothing locked in,’ Sainz stated. ‘I’ve seen reports in the media, people saying I’ve signed. You look at those things, it makes me laugh because I remember seeing reports three months ago that I had signed for Mercedes, reports that I had signed for Red Bull. Now obviously those places are not going to happen. So it’s just funny now people saying I’ve signed for Williams. It makes me laugh knowing that sometimes this goes a bit unpunished in a way for some media reports.’
Sainz continued to express his frustration: ‘I can just tell you that obviously concerns me that people can get away with that kind of stuff without being backed or anything like that. Apart from that, whenever I have something to say or something to announce, you guys will be the first ones to know and I’ll be here openly talking about it. And about my future, I’ll put everything into perspective, I will seriously consider everything inside that contract that I sign.’
While the future remains uncertain for Carlos Sainz, what’s clear is Mercedes’ focus on nurturing young talent, particularly Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Whether Sainz will find his place in the 2025 grid or not, only time will tell, especially with Wolff keeping his options open.
Source: Planetf1
