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Carlos Sainz has reportedly signed a two-year deal with Mercedes starting from 2025 and will seemingly join the Silver Arrows as a direct replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
Although his performance has been impressive so far in the current F1 season, no confirmation has been made by any team related to the Ferrari driver.
However, multiple Italian publications have reported that Carlos Sainz will move to Mercedes in 2025. According to Corriere dello Sport, the 29-year-old will race alongside George Russell, which will give current Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli ample time to gain enough experience for Formula 1.
FUnoAnalisiTecnica has reported that both Mercedes and Sainz are interested in each other, making it a mutual agreement. Although Mercedes have not performed at the top like they used to in the turbo-hybrid era, they remain one of the top teams in the sport with years of experience under their belt.
However, a clause in the contract is reportedly keeping Sainz from signing with Mercedes.
Reported clause keeping Carlos Sainz from signing for Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli is a promising junior driver for Mercedes. His performance in Formula 2 and other junior series has been impressive for the team and he is expected to be Lewis Hamilton's replacement in the coming years. However, at just 17 years old, he currently lacks the experience needed to compete in F1.
Mercedes reportedly want to sign Carlos Sainz for a dry season without a guarantee for the future, all while Antonelli gains more experience. This is the clause, that, according to FUnoAnalisiTecnica, is keeping the two parties from reaching a mutual agreement.
Their report also mentioned that Sainz is looking to sign a multi-year deal, while the Silver Arrows are looking to sign him for a dry year with the option for an extension. The report added that Mercedes are looking to pair Russell with either Antonelli or Max Verstappen in 2026.
Sainz signed with Ferrari in 2021 and has performed considerably well over the years. He finished on the podium in all the races he has started this season, helping the team stay in second place in the world championship behind Red Bull Racing.
The Spaniard has also been speculated to be on Red Bull's radar as Sergio Perez's contract is set to expire at the end of this season.
