Negotiations are reportedly underway between Mercedes and Carlos Sainz with the Spaniard seen as a strong option to replace Lewis Hamilton, who is succeeding him at Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond.
Sainz has been an impressive contributor to Ferrari’s on-track success since joining from McLaren just over three years ago, but his time with the Scuderia is set to end when the 2024 season comes to a close in Abu Dhabi. While Sauber has been touted as a possible destination, the 29-year-old will hope to drive for a frontrunning team.
Mercedes, meanwhile, are in need of a replacement for Hamilton, who is leaving the team after an iconic partnership spanning 12 years. With the early signs suggesting that teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli will not be ready to make the jump in 2025, Sainz is a compelling option for the Silver Arrows.
According to a report from the Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport, talks between Toto Wolff’s outfit and Sainz’s entourage have already begun. The Spaniard was struck down with appendicitis at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and couldn’t race, but that did leave his team able to meet with Mercedes officials in the paddock.
The report states that Sainz’s entourage – which included his manager Carlos Onorio and his father, the rallying legend Carlos Sainz Snr – stayed in the Mercedes hospitality for a lengthy period of time beyond the Grand Prix, discussing matters with team principal Wolff.
