He’s been linked to the Mercedes seat being vacated by Lewis Hamilton in 2025 and has already tested F1 cars from previous years. Mercedes is likely to want to test him in a current car during a race weekend free practice session before then, which would require a superlicence. This could be with the Mercedes team, or with Mercedes-powered Williams.
There is also the recurring suggestion that Antonelli being offered even more F1 experience by Williams, by replacing Logan Sargeant mid-season. The American incumbent had a difficult debut season last year, and has continued to make mistakes this year. He’s widely expected to be replaced for 2025, making it plausible that Williams could cut a deal to run Antonelli for the rest of the year.
It might seem premature for a driver who’s in his debut Formula 2 season and still getting to grips with that series, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff missed out on signing Max Verstappen when he couldn’t promise a fast-track to F1, and is unwilling to make the same mistake again with a driver who has been compared to the three-time world champion.
Is Mercedes really back?
Can George Russell once again lead into Turn 1?
Mercedes
The rare sight of beaming smiles in the Mercedes garage and drivers with a spring in their step said everything in Canada. It was confirmed by a pole position and podium finish for George Russell.
A new front wing seems to have solved the car’s set-up difficulties and unpredictable behaviour, giving the drivers a car that they could lean on to maximise pace. But just as Ferrari’s performance in Montreal was dismissed by the team as a one-off, so it remains to be seen whether the Mercedes will still be competitive in Spain.
Carlos Sainz’s future
Will Audi or Williams offer Sainz the best chance of adding to his victory tally?
Clive Mason/F1 via Getty Images
Carlos Sainz is juggling offers from two F1 teams, but they won’t wait forever, and the Spanish Grand Prix has long been seen as an opportunity for him to commit to his future.
The hope of a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes has gone, so Sainz must decide whether to throw in his lot with Audi, which is in the process of taking over the Sauber team ahead of the 2026 season. Despite the vast resources available, however, there appears to be a lot of rebuilding work required, not to mention the matter of producing a brand new power unit that can compete with the new generation from established suppliers, including Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda.
That could be pushing Sainz in the direction of Williams, which may be at the back of the grid now, but is undergoing an impressive transformation in the hands of James Vowles, backed by money from owners Dorilton Capital. Come 2026 and 2027, the team expects that this will translate into improved performance on track. It is also hoping to benefit from the all-new power units that will be used in 2026. Williams’ deal means that it will continue to be supplied by Mercedes, which had the best unit by a mile after the last major rule change in 2014.
Sainz’s choice is just the start, though. His decision could be the pin that releases a series of other driver moves, with the team that Sainz rejects then moving for its second choice, potentially triggering further moves that will fill several of the eight spare seats on the 2025 grid remaining.
