Ralf Schumacher has heard six-pole F1 driver could be available ‘at any time’ to replace Kimi Antonelli

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Ralf Schumacher believes one highly-rated driver on the Formula 1 grid could be available ‘at any time’ to replace Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes due to clauses in his current contract.

Kimi Antonelli goes into the final third of his maiden Formula 1 season off the back of a tricky run of races.

Antonelli has only scored three points since his podium at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, fewer than all but three other drivers on the grid, Carlos Sainz, Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto.

That trio are currently at the bottom of the drivers’ championship, aside from Jack Doohan, who was dropped by Alpine after just six races.

Despite all of this, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has put his full faith in Antonelli.

Wolff deployed a new tactic with Antonelli after Monza, calling his performance ‘underwhelming’ after a tricky FP2 session, a poor start to the race and a five-second penalty for his overly aggressive driving when battling Williams driver Alex Albon.

Although not officially confirmed, Mercedes are expected to continue with Antonelli and George Russell into 2026; however, the lengths of both of their contracts have not been confirmed.

Ralf Schumacher believes that if Mercedes wished to call on him, Sainz would be available ‘at any time’ to join the Silver Arrows.

What he’s ‘heard’ about the six-pole position driver’s contract might worry Williams boss James Vowles, who sees Sainz as a vital cog in the team’s long-term future.

READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats

Ralf Schumacher thinks Carlos Sainz would be available ‘at any time’ if Mercedes wanted to sign him

Schumacher was asked on the Formel 1 YouTube channel who Mercedes should approach for 2026 if they decide against retaining Antonelli, and Sainz’s name came up.

He explained: “Well, a rookie for Mercedes is fine anyway, let’s say now in the season where they were and in this development phase, you can do that.

“But I agree with you, there’s nobody big on the market at the moment where you’d say, I absolutely have to have him now, most of them are all sorted.

“And obviously, Toto Wolff doesn’t think much of Bottas, otherwise he would have kept him. You have to say that, sorry about that.

“So it’s difficult. Yes, the George Russell issue is a bit surprising, but maybe there’ll be a twist at some point, the punchline as to why they’re waiting so long, because I think Mercedes must be happy to have him by now, but there’s no alternative.

“So, they have to see it through for another year, and then they’ll have to see how things go.

“I think Carlos Sainz would be available at any time. I mean, there seem to be some clauses, I don’t know exactly, at least that’s what you hear. He would certainly be the first person that comes to mind.”

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How Carlos Sainz’s father reacted to Mercedes signing Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Sainz was one of the leading candidates to sign for Mercedes last season, before they eventually decided on promoting Antonelli.

He had learned that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him at Ferrari and suddenly had every midfield team courting his signature.

In the end, Sainz settled on Williams, and even though he’s having a tough time, it appears to have been the right choice.

Albon has overtaken Antonelli in the drivers’ championship, and Williams should secure P5 in the constructors’ standings unless something completely unexpected happens.

Carlos Sainz’s father couldn’t understand why Mercedes chose Antonelli over his son, considering his experience.

It will be interesting to see how the next few years pan out for both drivers, especially as Sainz has the clauses in his contract that he suggests, as he could suddenly be at the centre of next year’s driver market.