Il drivers market started with a bang when, last February, the 7-time World Champion's move to red was announced, Lewis Hamilton, leaving a question mark on the future of issue #55. Summer is approaching, the driver market is starting to come to life and the question that arises is: Carlos Sainz will he drive for Mercedes or Audi? Is the Red Bull hypothesis still on the table?
Mercedes offers the Spaniard an annual contract
In the week leading up to the Miami GP, rumors circulated that the Spanish driver would rejected Audi's offer, as they are waiting for a call from Mercedes and Red Bull. But it was the same Sainz to deny all this, underlining that many things do not depend on him, implying that is not currently in a location of strength. With Hamilton in Ferrari, the most logical option would be to have the Madrilenian take the seat left in number #44, but there are some obstacles which do not seem to make this exchange possible.
First of all, Sainz is not Toto Wolff's priority, who has two dreams with a view to 2026. The first, perhaps the most concrete, is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a driver from the Mercedes Junior Academy currently involved in Formula 2 with Prema, but who when he is ready to take the big step will find a seat waiting for him in the silver arrows team. Wolff armored Antonelli already when he ran on card, perhaps for fear of letting another talent slip away, as had happened with Verstappen. In fact, at the time, Helmut Marko took the young Verstappen away from the Mercedes Team Principal, offering him his arrival in Formula 1 while still a minor.
In accordance to reported from the German newspaper F1-insider.com, Mercedes would have presented an offer to Sainz. However, it would be a yearly contract, so that, if Max Verstappen were to decide to abandon Red Bull, the Brackley team would be ready to welcome him. The possible growth of Antonelli – already on the track aboard a Mercedes single-seater for tests in Austria and Imola – is the second reason why this type of offer was made to Sainz.
Sainz dilemma-drivers market: will he choose Mercedes or Audi?
The other interested team to Carlos Sainz it is Audi, who in the meantime has already chosen the driver who will occupy the second seat, namely Nico Hulkenberg. Although Spanish has the rumors denied of a rejected offer, the House of the Four Circles wants an answer. Audi would in fact have given a ultimatum to the Cavallino driver, who within the deadline - i.e. the Monaco GP – is called upon to decide whether or not to accept the offer. Should the son of art refuse, Audi could bet on one of the two French pilots: Gasly or Ocon.
For Sainz, accepting an annual contract with Mercedes would mean finding himself back on the driver market in 2025, but not having the possibility of taking refuge in Audi, which will be fully booked. Currently, however, it seems that #55 cannot hope to return to home ground Red Bull, since the latter seems interested in extending the contract Czech Perez. The dilemma that Carlos Sainz will face in the coming weeks will be: accept an annual salary in Mercedes or sign a fabulous contract (especially from an economic point of view) with Audi?
SOURCE: FormulaPassion.it
