Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed that Carlos Sainz is again a contender to complete the team’s 2025 Formula 1 line-up amid Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s struggles.
With Wolff’s desire to prise Max Verstappen from Red Bull next season all but ruled out, Mercedes protege Antonelli has been considered the overwhelming favourite.
Mercedes’ desire to invest in youth to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton saw Wolff divulge in public that he’d told Sainz that he was no longer under consideration.
However, the Italian has endured a challenging season campaign in Formula 2 and lies ninth in the Drivers’ standings as Prema has flagged with the all-new 2024 car.
Antonelli’s setback on his rapid ascent up the single-seater ladder and Mercedes’ recent renaissance seems to have prompted Wolff to retract his dismissal of Sainz.
The Austrian told Mundo Deportivo earlier this week that Sainz was “still an option” and has since clarified that it’s not a guarantee Antonelli will be given a promotion.
“The season has been a bit tricky because overall the two have not been on a level and I think the team recognises that.
“That wasn’t great, but last weekend was pretty good. The pace was there, there were mistakes in getaways, so that’s something a rookie needs to learn, that’s clear.
“But he has a lot of pressure. He’s being talked a lot about. His junior formula and go-karting track record is one of a kind. And that’s clear that the pressure ramps up.
“But it’s like his father says, a champion needs to be thrown in the cold water and needs to swim. So they are very clear about that.
“But the driver market at the moment is quite a dynamic, interesting thing. I think because some of the drivers have more options and some of the teams have more options.
“So it’s interesting. And you know, it’s like Bernie said: ‘last week I had an opinion, this week I have a different one’.”
Meanwhile, Williams was known to be courting Sainz’s coveted services, but Alpine’s arrival into the mix and Mercedes’ reappearance has cast doubt on that switch.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles has disclosed that an outcome on who will partner with the incumbent Alex Albon won’t be announced in the coming weeks.
“I mean, I’ll go back to, he’s a world-class driver,” Vowles said. “So the decision isn’t imminent. It’s not today that we need to make it.
“But what I’ve said all along is actually the timeline is less important to me.
“What’s more important is that whatever decision we come to or the driver comes to, it’s about forging a long-term relationship with each other – i.e. both see the journey we’re on and want that to be a part of their lives. I’m fairly sure you’ll see all this cleared up before we get to September.
“That’s the normal time. If you look at a normal routine, we’re actually just now going back into what is a normal schedule where August is spent doing contracts.
“But I’m pretty sure you’ll find it all cemented by then.”
Asked whether the Grove-based squad boasted a Plan B should Sainz head elsewhere, Sainz answered: “Fundamentally, yes. Simple answer to it.”
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