Gazzetta dello Sport: Carlos Sainz moves to Mercedes

Gazzetta dello Sport writes, based on unnamed but ‘authoritative sources’, that Carlos Sainz will drive for Mercedes next year. That. It turns out that the two teams will make something of it, as Lewis Hamilton will take the Spaniard’s place at Ferrari.

Official confirmation from Mercedes will reportedly follow a little later. According to the Italian publication, the talk that Max Verstappen was thinking about moving to the factory team of the Stuttgart concern were just a kind of maneuvers of the people around the three-time world champion at a time when Red Bull Racing was in a difficult situation. crisis situation as a result of the scandalous ‘Horner case’”

But now that the crisis appears to be over, Verstappen has no particular reason to say goodbye to Red Bull, although this would be an interesting twist in the intrigue. Meanwhile, Mercedes continued negotiations with other possible candidates to fill the vacancy and appeared to have settled on the candidacy of Sainz, an experienced, intelligent and technically well-versed driver who already has three victories to his name.

For Mercedes it is also important that Carlos is a team player, he knows how to find a common language with the team he works in and with his teammates, so that they get along well with George Russell and will work together to do well. adjust the car.

It is clear that this will be a very good option for Sainz, because Mercedes remains a top team with its resources and technological capabilities, even if things have not been going so well lately.

If the information about the contract with the Spaniard is confirmed, it will mean that the promising Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli will continue to gain experience in the youth series, actively participate in tests, and in Formula 1 can repeat the path of Russell, i.e. make his debut with Williams and spends a few seasons with the Grove team, which uses Mercedes engines. But this is far from happening, because first we have to achieve success in Formula 2, and at the beginning of his first season in the youth series, Antonelli does not show any special results, although he has speed, there is no doubt about it.