At the beginning of February, former world champion Lewis Hamilton announced that he will switch from Mercedes to Ferrari from 2025. While the musical chairs did not materialize in the run-up to the 2024 season, it is anything but certain what the grid will look like in 2025. Not only Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz will lose his seat, Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly also do not have a seat for next season.
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes means that a seat has become available at the German racing stable. The German team appears to be in no hurry to announce who will be the 39-year-old Briton’s successor. However, team boss Toto Wolff reportedly told F1TV reporter Will Buxton during the Japanese Grand Prix that a ‘huge’ driver will make an announcement in the coming weeks.
Buxton thinks he has an answer
In recent months, many names have been mentioned of drivers who may take over the coveted seat at Mercedes. Not only current F1 drivers were mentioned, rookies were also mentioned. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is part of the Mercedes Junior Team, was recently mentioned as a contender.
During the review of the race on Sunday, Buxton says that he thinks Mercedes did not opt ​​for a driver from a lower racing class. Fortunately, he immediately reveals in the broadcast who he thinks will take a seat in the German racing team’s car. “I think it’s Carlos Sainz,” the Briton admits.
The 29-year-old Spanish driver seems to be doing well this season. At the opening of the season in Bahrain he finished in third place. The Ferrari driver was absent from the Jeddah street circuit in Saudi Arabia due to appendicitis and was replaced by Oliver Bearman. Just two weeks later, Sainz made a fantastic comeback during the Australian Grand Prix, which he won. He also showed his best side again in Japan and finished third. A good application for a spot on the other teams, then.
