Mercedes Shifts Focus to Youth, Rules Out Sainz for 2025 Season

Carlos Sainz Jr from Spain, currently racing for Ferrari, has been ruled out as an option for the Mercedes team in the 2025 Formula 1 season. Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, stated that the team wants to “reinvent itself” and is considering other candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Ferrari next season. Sainz was previously considered as a short-term option, but he expressed his desire for a long-term commitment from his next team. Wolff informed Sainz that he is no longer under consideration, as Mercedes focuses on developing young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli, who is only 17 years old, has combined his Formula 2 campaign with F1 tests in old Mercedes cars. Wolff believes that prioritizing an unproven prospect over an established winner like Sainz is part of Mercedes’ plan to turn a new page. He also emphasized that it would be unfair to keep Sainz waiting for a decision while he tries to secure his own future. Antonelli, who will turn 18 on August 25th, would be eligible to make his F1 debut this season due to the reduced minimum age limit set by the FIA.