F1 News: Mercedes And Three Other Teams Could Approach Carlos Sainz After Ferrari Exit
Formula 1 journalist Lawrence Barretto claimed that Mercedes and four other teams on the F1 grid could approach Carlos Sainz for a seat next year when he will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
As Sainz nears the end of his tenure with Ferrari, numerous teams on the grid may be eyeing his potential for next year. Baretto detailed these teams and outlined why they might consider Sainz for the 2025 season. Notably, he was the sole non-Red Bull driver in the 2023 Formula 1 season to achieve a Grand Prix victory.
Explaining on the F1 Nation podcast, Barretto said the Spaniard is actually "not in too bad a spot" currently, despite losing his Ferrari seat for the upcoming year. He said:
“I actually think he’s not in too bad a spot at the minute, I think he probably looked at the fact that he’s lost his seat to the greatest driver of a generation as probably some sort of… it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to him.
“Because it just shows that, if that was going to happen, at least it was Lewis and not like an Albon or someone else who he would have felt pretty disappointed by.
“He’s got tonnes of options.”
Friends At Mercedes
Barretto hinted that Red Bull and Mercedes have a seat to fill next year. However, there are more reasons why Sainz would be more comfortable with the Brackley outfit. He added:
“I think he knows Toto Wolff very well.
“I know that, at Mercedes, they want consistency and they want someone who’s going to not rock the boat. They want someone who’s going to get on well with George Russell and Carlos Sainz fits that bill.”
The journalist then suggested Aston Martin, Sauber/Audi, and Williams as other potential options for Sainz. He continued:
“I know, for a fact, that he could have an option at Aston Martin.
“He can have an option at Sauber but that will become Audi in 2026, and he can have an option at Williams.
“I know that they don’t all scream Ferrari at you but they are all teams in the potential ascendancy at different rates over the next few years. So I actually think he’s in a very good spot.
“Once he comes to terms with the fact that his time at Ferrari is over, I don’t think he’s going to be too downbeat. He’s got the potential, if he goes to Mercedes, of a car that could be fighting for race wins almost immediately.
“If he goes to Aston Martin, he’s got a team that’s already fighting for podiums, and it’s going the right way.
“If he goes and hooks up with his old boss Andreas Seidl at Sauber, he’s got a manager who he knows can turn things around.
“And, if he goes to Williams, look what James Vowles has done in the course of a year and the money that they’re putting into that team. It could be a lot worse for him.”
