- Carlos Sainz Sr. criticized Mercedes F1’s snub of his son for the 2025 season.
- The former rally driver thinks Antonelli’s push to main driver status with the team has been premature.
Carlos Sainz Jr., having left Ferrari, was in talks with leading teams like Red Bull and Mercedes for his next move in Formula 1. However, he’s now set to join Williams for the 2025 season.
Former F1 driver Marc Surer has shed light on the situation after speaking with Sainz’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr. According to reports, the elder Sainz expressed doubts about Mercedes’ choice to directly promote their young talent, Kimi Antonelli, to the main team, bypassing the usual step of seasoning in a partner team. Sainz Sr. described this move as “not logical,” especially highlighting how Mercedes previously developed George Russell through Williams before promoting him to its roster.
Surer echoed this sentiment, questioning the risk it undertook in promoting a very young driver that it could have safely placed at Williams, like with Russell. He also confirmed that Sainz Jr. would have gladly taken a seat at Mercedes if offered, but with Red Bull choosing to keep Sergio Perez and Mercedes going for Antonelli, Sainz’s path led to Williams.
The decision has sparked debate, particularly after Antonelli’s crash in Russell’s W15 during his first practice at Monza. Sainz Sr. reportedly found the subsequent celebration of this incident perplexing, casting some doubt on Antonelli’s readiness for such a high-pressure role.
As the F1 calendar flips to 2025, attention will turn to how Sainz Jr. will fare at Williams and whether Antonelli can handle the expectations at Mercedes.
