Ralf Schumacher shares which F1 team Carlos Sainz has a ‘great chance’ of joining in 2025

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Carlos Sainz continues to hold up the Formula 1 driver’s market with his options for next season beginning to run out.

In a typical year, the summer break is when teams and drivers begin to confirm their plans for the following campaign.

However, 2024 has proved to be anything but ordinary, especially as Lewis Hamilton confirmed his move to Ferrari a month before the season even began.

That left Carlos Sainz in a predicament as he suddenly had to wrestle with the uncertainty of not knowing who he’ll be driving for in 2025 alongside racing for Ferrari.

He’s done a very solid job, winning the Australian Grand Prix and closing the gap to teammate Charles Leclerc to just four points despite missing the race in Jeddah.

Ralf Schumacher was speaking about the Spaniard’s future to Sky Sports Deutschland after the race and believes a previously dismissed option might not be on the table.

Teams towards the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship have been fighting over the 29-year-old for some time.

Alpine have made an improved offer for Sainz in the hopes of pairing him with Pierre Gasly next year.

Williams have stopped negotiations with Sainz as they were beginning to run out of patience with the Spaniard.

Schumacher now believes that Sainz has a ‘great chance’ of driving for Mercedes next year.

A straight swap with Lewis Hamilton would create another fascinating storyline on the grid.

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Ralf Schumacher says Carlos Sainz has a ‘great chance’ of joining Mercedes

Schumacher: “It’s slowly becoming a little difficult. People thought he would definitely be at Williams, but it seems he’s not there anymore.

“At Alpine, perhaps, but he suddenly has a great chance at Mercedes because Toto [Wolff] says a few things have changed again.

“That’s why I almost see him alongside George Russell.”

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Why Carlos Sainz has a ‘great chance’ of driving for Mercedes next season

For months, it’s appeared as though Mercedes had already made their choice for George Russell’s teammate next season.

Despite only starting his Formula 2 career at the beginning of the year, Kimi Antonelli has been tipped to drive for Mercedes in 2025 for some time.

However, his performances haven’t stood out in a field that contains young drivers in plenty of other Formula 1 academies.

He finally won his first race of the season at Silverstone and although it may have only been in the Sprint Race, Antonelli showed some of his exceptional talent to lead the field by a wide margin in treacherous conditions.

Toto Wolff understands the young Italian’s potential but doesn’t appear to want to rush him into F1 at this stage.

He knows he has time on his side to decide on his 2025 line-up with Antonelli already contracted to the team and Sainz seemingly in no rush to make his mind up either.

The Spaniard saw other options at top teams quickly fade away but Mercedes are still giving Sainz hope that he doesn’t need to drop down to the back of the field to remain in Formula 1 next year.

It’s a saga that looks set to rumble on for some time and may have suddenly been impacted by goings on at Red Bull.

Sergio Perez is under increasing pressure and if he’s removed from his seat, then Sainz may even sense an opportunity to join his old employer once again next year.