Mercedes don’t appear to be ‘warming’ to the idea of hiring one race-winning driver for the 2025 season, Damon Hill says.
The Silver Arrows are after a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who’s decided to jump ship to rivals Ferrari.
But Hill, speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, says one option doesn’t seem to be particularly well thought of at Brackley.
According to colleague Ted Kravitz, Toto Wolff could wait until late August before he makes a final decision on Hamilton’s successor.
The Austrian should have the luxury of plenty of options to choose from, with more than half the F1 grid out of contract.
Provided Sergio Perez remains Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull – and one journalist believes he may already have signed an extension – then the Mercedes may have the most desirable seat available.
Charles Leclerc is under contract alongside Hamilton at Ferrari, while both McLaren drivers are committed for 2025 too.
Damon Hill says Aston Martin may welcome Carlos Sainz more than Mercedes
Carlos Sainz is arguably the hottest property on the F1 market now after Ferrari decided to release him to make room for Hamilton.
Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix last time out, ahead of teammate Leclerc, to take his career tally of victories to three.
But nothing that Hill has heard so far suggests that the 29-year-old is a leading candidate for the drive.
Christian Horner praised Sainz’s performance in Melbourne and the 1996 F1 world champion says a return to the Red Bull family shouldn’t be ruled out.
But he wonders if an all-Spanish line-up at Aston Martin alongside Fernando Alonso could be the most realistic prospect.
If team owner Lawrence Stroll wishes to bring that vision to life, then he’ll have to oust his own son Lance.
Hill said: “Where can he go? I’ve not heard any great warming, welcoming noises coming from Mercedes, which would be one possible place.
“Red Bull – Christian Horner said it’s not impossible.
“What about Aston Martin? What about him and Fernando Alonso? A strong Spanish presence there.
“They get on very well obviously.”
Could Carlos Sainz return to Red Bull?
There is a genuine chance that Hill’s idea of Sainz joining Aston Martin comes to fruition.
The belief is that Stroll senior holds a genuine interest in signing the 29-year-old for next year.
Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says he wouldn’t be surprised if Lance Stroll lost his seat to the former Toro Rosso driver.
However, a move to Red Bull would be a more exciting prospect for a couple of reasons.
First, the Bulls are expected to lead the way in the championship fight until 2026 at the very least, when there will be a major change to the F1 regulations.
And second, he’d be able to reignite his rivalry with Verstappen from 2015, when both made their debuts.
But a move to the Milton Keynes-based team wouldn’t necessarily be straightforward.
While Horner is keen on bringing him back, Helmut Marko is less enthusiastic about the proposal.
Meanwhile, one racing driver says that Sainz wouldn’t be especially eager to try and dethrone Verstappen at a team he’s made his own.
What’s more, Red Bull may decide to wait until the summer to make a final decision on their line-up, much like Mercedes, which could be too late for the seat-less Spaniard.
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