Mercedes Doesn't Want To Rush To Make Sure Ferrari Racer Carlos Sainz Fills Hamilton's Empty Seat

Carlos Sain (Instagram carlossainz55)

JAKARTA - Mercedes Racing Team Director Toto Wolff responded to rumors that Ferrari's current driver, Carlos Sainz, was one of the strong candidates to fill the vacant Mercedes seat that Lewis Hamilton had left. “ I think Carlos deserves the top seat. He did a great job this season, Wolff was quoted as saying on the official website of Formula 1, Monday, June 17. Although Wolff praised Sainz's performance over the past two seasons, he admitted that he did not want to rush into a final decision regarding the ranks of riders at Mercedes. Currently, Mercedes is just securing a place for its main racer, George Russell, in the coming season. Meanwhile, Hamilton officially moved to strengthen Ferrari with Charles Leclerc in 2025. "We haven't made a decision for next year, but we also don't want Carlos to wait because he has to make his own decisions. After all, he did an amazing job," Wolff said. However, Wolff said opportunities were also wide open for young riders in the Formula 2 class to move up to the premier class. One of the riders who has great potential to enter the Mercedes racing team is Andrea Kimi Antonelli who shows extraordinary performance in F2. The 17-year-old racer has several carting awards by winning the F4 Italian and ADAC 2022 Championships, as well as winning titles in the European and Middle Eastern Regional Formula last year. "We have now started a way to ‘ slightly change ourselves forward ’,” said Wolff, referring to young talents like Antonelli." The teenage racer has completed his first round behind the wheel of the F1 as part of the Mercedes junior scheme over the past few months. Mercedes Technical Director James totaled that the young Italian racer was quick to adapt to racing cars that were much different from what he had previously learned. “He was fast, consistent, and didn't make any mistakes. Kimi seems to naturally go into the right channel, providing decent input on the car's impression without really making a mistake,“ Rachel said.

Meanwhile, Antonelli took sixth place in the F2 standings after five opener rounds of the season, scoring points in seven of the top 10 races and finishing in P4 in races in Melbourne, Imola, and Monaco.