Carlos Sainz won’t be joining Mercedes for the 2025 season. Lewis Hamilton is leaving the Silver Arrows to make the move to Ferrari, but a driver ‘swap’ appears to be off the table.
It’s recently emerged that Sainz’s timeline is at odds with that of Toto Wolff. The Spaniard wants his future decided in the next few weeks, while Wolff is willing to wait months.
The Mercedes boss still appears to be holding out hope that world champion Max Verstappen will agree to join for 2025. And failing that, he wants as much time as possible to assess academy driver Kimi Antonelli in F2.
Sainz, currently a free agent for next year, knows the market won’t wait for him forever. And there are other options out there.
The most desirable, even though it would involve being Verstappen’s teammate, is a move to Red Bull. But that depends on whether the team offer Sergio Perez a contract extension.
Further down the grid, Sainz has a longstanding offer from Audi. The German giants will enter F1 in 2026 as they acquire the Sauber team.
Carlos Sainz to Williams a growing possibility
Another team who have expressed an interest is Sainz is Williams. They held talks with the 29-year-old’s management last year, even before they knew Ferrari wouldn’t renew his contract.
It later became clear that he was James Vowles’ first choice to replace Logan Sargeant for next year. Williams have recently tied down Alex Albon in the other car.
That move was initially regarded as a ‘long shot’ and it certainly would have been a surprise. The Grove outfit are one of two teams yet to score a point this year, alongside Sauber.
However, according to Formula Passion, the prospective switch is no longer looking like a ‘joke’. That’s largely because they offer him the best chance of racing with a Mercedes power unit in 2026.
The doors to Brackley are closed, McLaren intend to continue with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin are starting a partnership with Honda. If Sainz wants to benefit from what’s expected to be the best engine on the grid at the start of the new regulations, Williams are his only option.
Why Adrian Newey to Ferrari rumours are a ‘slap in the face’ for Carlos Sainz
The underlying reality here, of course, is that Sainz won’t want to leave Ferrari. The Scuderia have made a significant step in the right direction this year, sitting a respectable 56 points behind Red Bull in the standings after seven races.
They’re also mounting an aggressive development push that they hope will allow them to wipe out the gap to the reigning champions. Indeed, it’s not inconceivable that they fight for the title next year.
And looking ahead to 2026, Fred Vasseur wants Adrian Newey in place in time to help design the car. Securing Red Bull’s chief technical officer could make Ferrari the favourites for the new regulations, even without a Mercedes engine.
In the words of journalist Peter Windsor, those rumours will come as a ‘slap in the face’ for Sainz. With three wins in three full seasons for Ferrari, he’ll feel he’s done little wrong – except for not being Lewis Hamilton.
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