Carlos Sainz is reportedly in agreement with Mercedes, and his move to the team should be a certainty for 2025. However, there is reportedly one issue over which the Spaniard and team boss Toto Wolff are clashing.
Lewis Hamilton secured six world championships with the Silver Arrows, but he felt it was time for a new adventure. The Brit will switch to Ferrari after 2024, becoming the new teammate of Charles Leclerc.
This means that Carlos Sainz will have to leave Scuderia, and at the same time, Mercedes is looking for Hamilton’s successor. Toto Wolff had previously indicated that Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Sainz were on his list.
Currently, the expectation is that Verstappen will complete his contract at Red Bull Racing. Last Thursday, Alonso and Aston Martin announced an extension of their partnership through 2026.
Signature yet to be finalized
La Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news last Friday that Sainz had already signed with Mercedes. According to the Italian newspaper, it would be a ‘one plus one’ deal, where both parties can decide after each season whether to end the partnership or continue together.
Meanwhile, Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica also reports that Sainz will race for Mercedes starting in 2025, but the signature has not yet been finalized. The man from Madrid is reportedly clashing with Wolff over one detail in the contract.
Reportedly, Sainz wants more security and is demanding a deal of at least two seasons with an option for an additional year. He would then be able to race for Mercedes until the end of 2027.
Wolff’s preference is for the ‘one plus one’ deal because he wants to be able to offer Antonelli a chance in Formula 1 as soon as the 17-year-old is ready. Sainz would prefer not to merely warm the seat for Antonelli and be pushed aside after a year.
