F1 Rumor: Carlos Sainz to Mercedes Nearly a Done Deal, Announcement To Follow Soon

2026 was supposed to be the year when Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton would be pressured to bring the fight to Red Bull. But the Briton left his close friend and Mercedes hanging by jumping ship to Ferrari. This left Wolff to scramble and look for a driver to fill the shoes of a 7-time champion. Surprisingly, Carlos Sainz, whom Ferrari deemed comparatively inefficient, has become the answer to Mercedes’ driver problem.

Sainz has been linked to all top teams for a 2025 seat. He has a history with Red Bull, familial links with Audi, and a Spanish connection at Aston Martin. But in the end, he has reportedly chosen Mercedes as the team that’ll propel him towards his maiden championship.

The swap of the decade: Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz

It’s no surprise that Carlos Sainz is the most wanted driver on the grid. He does have the same number of podiums as Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen, with F1 pundits expecting more stellar performances out of Sainz. Toto Wolff has shown great interest in Sainz, and everyone has their eye on the Spaniard.

Recently, the rumor mills have dropped an interesting hint. The source that confirmed Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, came forth to say that the Smooth Operator will be taking the 7-time-world champion’s seat in 2025. This is great news for Mercedes fans as Sainz is outperforming almost every driver on the grid this season.

Given a better car, he might also become a direct threat to Max Verstappen’s title. Yet everything depends on Mercedes when it comes to constructing a competitive car. The Silver Arrows are not as sharp as they were during their reign, but that might change after the 2026 regulations. In a follow-up comment from the X post breaking the news, there is more information that might put Carlos Sainz fans at ease.

Mercedes looks strong after the 2026 regulations change

At this moment, Mercedes is struggling, and their performance is making it evident. The W15 is just not quick enough and even the 7-time world champion cannot save the team with the car he is provided. The single-seater faces difficulties at high-speed corners and Mercedes is yet to figure out how to create more downforce for the car. This speaks volumes about what condition the team is in at the moment. It’s slowly losing its place in the pecking order and it won’t be a surprise if Aston Martin overtakes them this year. The situation is grim for Mercedes, but that’s only for this year.

The team is working hard to make changes and improve their car after each race and hopefully next year, Mercedes will start constructing their car from scratch. There is a lot to work on and if the team wants to be ready for Carlos Sainz to drive, it needs work. However, a recent update has surfaced that gives hope to Smooth Operator fans.

A tweet from the same source posted, “So that you don’t get so discouraged: Mercedes is one of the teams that benefits the most from the new regulations for cars in 2026, they are going to return… Carlos Sainz’s championship is inevitable.” With this update on the Carlos Sainz situation, it is important to remember that this is all rumors still. Official confirmation for the transfer and the 2026 engines are yet to come and with time we will know where the Australian Grand Prix winner ends up in 2025.

Do you think Carlos Sainz will confirm with Mercedes? Or will he end up in another team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Read More – Carlos Sainz at Audi “Bad for Formula 1”, Ex-Ferrari Boss Makes Surprising Admission on Spaniard’s Future