Sainz sheds light on speculated move to Mercedes
Carlos Sainz had a tough decision to make during the 2024 Formula 1 season. After finding out he would not be with Ferrari this year, he had to find another team. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, he revealed how close he was to signing with Mercedes.
The Mercedes team has been at the forefront of many people's minds as rumours of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull continue to swirl. However, Mercedes could have had a completely different line-up had they chosen to go with Carlos Sainz instead of Kimi Antonelli.
Could Sainz have gone to Mercedes?
After Sainz knew he would no longer have a place at Ferrari, he began to look for a seat elsewhere, but how close exactly was he to moving to Mercedes?
When asked if he was close to that even being an option, Sainz said, "Not really."
"We obviously talked a lot with Toto at the time and everyone, but I was an option for sure. I was considered."
He continued, "How close? I can't go and ask Toto, but I think he's very happy with Kimi."
When Antonelli was first announced, some fans felt as if that was the wrong move due to Sainz's experience and Antonelli's age. Some felt as if Antonelli should go to Williams like George Russell did instead of heading straight to Mercedes.
That was something that Sainz himself struggled with. He admitted one of the lowest points was realising he would not be at a frontrunner team.
"I understood and I told myself, Carlos, that's not happening. Take the decision where you go next and what's the shortest route to winning again?"
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