Martin Brundle thinks ‘dynamic’ has changed at F1 team Carlos Sainz ‘hopes’ to join in 2025

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Carlos Sainz is in such a strong position of power in the Formula 1 driver’s market that while teams and other drivers around him panic about their future, he continues to take his time.

The Spaniard has now known for five months that Ferrari wouldn’t be renewing his contract following the signing of Lewis Hamilton.

That would have caused a lot of drivers to panic, particularly as Carlos Sainz watched the likes of Red Bull and Aston Martin confirm their line-ups while he was still available as a free agent.

The situation at Red Bull has now changed with Sergio Perez under serious pressure, although Sainz doesn’t appear to be an option to replace the Mexican.

Martin Brundle was speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast about Sainz’s future and where he should be aiming to drive next year.

Almost every team on the grid who still have an available seat holds some sort of interest in Sainz.

However, there are plenty of factors associated with each offer and Sainz has to weigh up the positives and negatives of joining each manufacturer.

Brundle believes that Sainz now hopes to join Mercedes for 2025 in what would be a straight swap with Hamilton.

However, the position of youngster Kimi Antonelli within the set-up and how he’s viewed by team principal Toto Wolff may throw a spanner in the works.

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Martin Brundle thinks Carlos Sainz still ‘hopes’ to join Mercedes

Talking about Sainz’s future, Brundle said: “I think the problem that they’ve [Red Bull] got with the Sainz’s – father and son – and the Verstappen’s – father and son – it wasn’t a happy set-up back when they were Toro Rosso teammates.

“And I think Red Bull are struggling to cope with one father at the moment, let alone two and that sort of head-to-head.

“But the thought of [Carlos] Sainz hanging around without a drive, I mean he will presumably hope to still get the Mercedes seat.

“But then [Kimi] Antonelli wins a race at the weekend in Formula 2 and changes the dynamic of that as well.

“It’s literally day by day at the moment and it’s a headscratcher for Red Bull and that explains to you why they re-signed Sergio Perez, my last few paragraphs.”

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Toto Wolff has already shared whether Carlos Sainz is in the frame for 2025 Mercedes seat

Carlos Sainz continues to take his time to decide his future and can use every passing race to carefully analyse his options.

Alpine looked to have an advantage over Williams and Sauber in Austria, but Alex Albon was the sole points scorer out of the three teams at Silverstone.

Sainz received an improved contract from Alpine after Flavio Briatore arrived at the team but Mercedes would immediately jump ahead of all three backmarkers in Sainz’s thinking if an offer arrived.

Toto Wolff said Sainz is definitely still in consideration for a 2025 seat at Mercedes before the British Grand Prix.

There’s a difference between being in the conversation and putting pen to paper though and Sainz looks set to continue waiting which will have a knock-on effect on how quickly the final few seats on the grid will be filled for next year.