Mercedes have two options left to replace Lewis Hamilton as Carlos Sainz ruled out.
Toto Wolff’s shortlist to replace Lewis Hamilton has been whittled down to two drivers ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend following the news that Carlos Sainz is out of contention for the seat. Instead, the Austrian will decide between three-time world champion Max Verstappen and 17-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli.
Discussing the state of the driver market heading into the crown jewel of the F1 calendar, Sky Sports News reporter Craig Slater revealed that Sainz and Mercedes have already had a conversation about his chances of driving for the Silver Arrows next season.
Sainz is determined to have his future wrapped up in the coming weeks, but Wolff is willing to wait as long as he can to confirm his driver pairing for 2025 on the off chance that the behind-the-scenes drama at Red Bull triggers reigning champion Verstappen to activate his Helmut Marko-linked exit clause and join the Silver Arrows.
By holding out for Verstappen’s signature, Wolff risks missing out on the other hot properties up for grabs in 2024, including Sainz. However, he does have a compelling backup plan in the form of Antonelli, who is currently completing a rigorous private testing programme to get him up to speed with F1 machinery.
