Carlos Sainz’s future in Formula 1 does not involve Ferrari, as it is already known that he will leave at the end of 2024 to make way for Lewis Hamilton… and the exchange could even be direct, since #55 is being linked to Mercedes.
According to the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the idea of “stealing” Max Verstappen from Red Bull was on the table, but it did not go ahead – mainly because the Dutchman has a contract until the end of 2028 and rescuing that agreement would be difficult and expensive.
Attention then turned to other alternatives… and Sainz seems to be the most desired. The Spaniard has been one of the standouts in the early part of the season. Apart from the Saudi Arabian GP, which he missed due to appendicitis, he has consistently outperformed his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, and even won the Australian GP.
Performances that seem to have seduced Mercedes, which also knows that Sainz is a team player and knows how to develop cars. A two-year contract until the end of 2026 is reportedly on the table, which would secure the Spaniard’s continuity in F1 and in a top team.
There is also the situation of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The driver from the Mercedes young driver program makes his debut this year in Formula 2 and a potential promotion to F1 could happen with a customer team – such as Williams – in 2025 or 2026.
