Carlos Sainz Out of Mercedes Race as Hamilton Joins Ferrari

Carlos Sainz is no longer in the running for the second Mercedes seat, at least for now. After Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton for next season, Sainz, now a free agent for 2025, is seeking a new team.

Despite the challenge of finding a seat for next year, Carlos Sainz has better chances of securing a competitive spot than usual, as many driver contracts are up for renewal. He has been linked to the unconfirmed seat at Red Bull, currently held by Sergio Perez, and Hamilton’s soon-to-be-vacant seat at Mercedes. Another potential opportunity is with Audi, though stalled negotiations with the German manufacturer keep this possibility open for Sainz.

However, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, PlanetF1.com reports that Mercedes no longer considers Sainz a candidate under his current circumstances. Sainz wanted to secure a deal with Mercedes quickly, but the team decided to wait and see if Max Verstappen might make a surprising move away from Red Bull, leading to a stalemate in negotiations. The issue lies in the timing rather than results or contract terms, leaving the door slightly open for Sainz in the future. However, he would negotiate from a weaker position if other options fall through.

With Mercedes delaying their decision, the focus shifts to their young protege Kimi Antonelli. The Formula 2 driver expects to meet all requirements for an F1 super licence by August this year. This scenario becomes likely if Mercedes cannot entice Verstappen away from Red Bull, a move that seems increasingly unlikely based on Verstappen’s recent statements.