Mercedes door remains open to Carlos Sainz with ‘definitely still a chance’ claim

Carlos Sainz and the Mercedes badge

The Mercedes F1 door has not be closed to Carlos Sainz with Toto Wolff revealing there’s “still a chance”, but he’s not going to rush his decision.

Sainz is the bottle in the cork in the F1 2025 driver market as the Spaniard considers his options for next season having been dropped by Ferrari in favour of signing Lewis Hamilton.

Carlos Sainz is ‘definitely still a chance’ if he gives Mercedes time

Hamilton shocked the F1 paddock, including his team boss Wolff, when he announced even before the first race of this season that this year’s championship would be his last with the Silver Arrows.

Signing with Ferrari for the F1 2025 championship, Hamilton’s move put an end date to Sainz’s time in red.

Although disappointed by the decision, it initially looked as Sainz would have his pick of teams with top teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull short a driver for next year.

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But while Red Bull went on to retain Sergio Perez, Wolff withdrew from negotiations with Sainz and cited wanting time to see how Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli performed in Formula 2.

It has pundits and fans alike torn on whether Mercedes should sign Sainz and give Antonelli a year or two with Williams, as they did with George Russell, or gamble on putting the teenager in the car.

Wolff was asked that question by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, and replied: “There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that.

“I think we have narrowed down the pool of drivers we want to work with in the future. And we want to make a decision in favour of what Mercedes can have in the next five-to-six years.

“And Kimi and George have been our junior drivers for a long time and I would like to stay true to the programme.

“That said, with Carlos, you have a sure value, especially in a very tight championship next year, you have another driver who is going to be very competitive, who, if our car is good, could help us secure a fight for the Constructors’ Championship.

“With Carlos, you have a safe bet. There are certainly many arguments in favour.

“That is why I also want to take my time with the decision and keep all options open as long as possible. And when I spoke to Carlos I already told him: ‘I am not sure you can wait as long as I would like you to wait.’

Pressed on whether Sainz is ‘still a possibility’, Wolff said: “I don’t want to make a decision quickly. But yes, he is.

“If we have more time to decide, Carlos is definitely still a chance, but Carlos needs to make a decision on what he does with the other teams.”

Sainz has yet to decide what he wants to do, the two-time grand prix winner said to be in talks with Williams, Alpine and Audi, who are poised to take over the existing Sauber team in F1 2026.

But while Wolff put a halt – or perhaps just a pause – to Sainz joining Mercedes, F1’s other Spaniard Fernando Alonso rejected the chance to join Mercedes.

“Of course we considered Fernando’s option, but at that time, Fernando was not interested in driving for Mercedes,” Wolff said.

“Moreover, he was offered a long-term contract at Aston Martin. That’s how we perceived it at the time.”

As such the Austrian missed out on a driver that he “agrees” with Max Verstappen is one of the top five ever to have raced in Formula 1.

“Fernando would have had many more titles if he had managed his career differently,” Wolff explained. “Coming to Mercedes in the past?

“I don’t think he could have signed for Mercedes after the McLaren episodes. Dieter Zetsche was at McLaren and then at Mercedes. So that door was practically closed.”

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