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Mercedes are losing Lewis Hamilton, who will race for Ferrari in 2025, meaning they have just 11 months to find a replacement for the seven-time world champion.
One of those possible replacements is Carlos Sainz, although they insist they won't rush into a premature call.
The Silver Arrows team is facing a complicated situation. The departure of the 103-time Grand Prix winner leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, however, the man from Stevenage is the racer with the best resume on the grid and is regarded as one of the finest still.
The directors of Mercedes must decide whether to bet on a young talent or if they prefer someone more experienced. There has been speculation about the possibility of replacing Hamilton with Kimi Antonelli, a highly-rated kid who is currently racing in Formula 2.
Other competitors with a very different profile have been mentioned as there has been talk of Esteban Ocon (now suffering at Alpine) or even Fernando Alonso (who has not yet renewed with Aston Martin), or even Max Verstappen.
"Those who are available, or who could be interesting for us, all have arguments in their favor," Toto Wolff said to media. "Whether it's the very young ones, whether it's the very experienced ones in their best years? Or Carlos (Sainz).
"It is a difficult choice. There are reasons to sign each one. I just want to take a step back and simply monitor the situation. Some of the guys mentioned may sign for other teams and that's why, right now, I'm just looking at it."
Sainz proves to be the only one capable of beating Verstappen
It's a fact that Carlos Sainz has no team for 2025 at the moment, so the option of g him to Mercedes is easier than going for someone already tied down elsewhere.
The Spaniard, who won his third F1 race at 2024 Australian Grand Prix, is earning all of the plaudits at the moment after winning the Albert Park race following appendix surgery.
He is the only driver who has been able to beat the insatiable Max Verstappen since the 2022 Brazilian GP as the Dutchman has won 19 of the last 21 races. The two winner's trophies he didn't win went to CS55's trophy cabinet from Singapore and Australia.