As Mercedes faces calls to swiftly secure Carlos Sainz, it's also rumored that Red Bull has an interest in the winner of the Australian Grand Prix.
Before the start of the 2024 season, it was suggested that Sainz, who was announced not to be with the team next season, could replace Charles Leclerc in his final year as his teammate.
Following a podium finish in Bahrain, Red Bull's closest rival, Sainz underwent appendicitis surgery, missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and putting his season on a sour note.
Two weeks after Saudi Arabia, he returned to his Ferrari and clinched victory at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of Leclerc.
With the driver being seatless for the upcoming season, it's said that many teams, including Mercedes, have him on their radar, and Sainz couldn't ask for a better outcome.
Brackley's team, in need of a replacement for Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, has been urged not to wait to snap up Sainz immediately.
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Sam Power from Channel 10 remarked, "He's done an exceptional job. The next question I suppose is: Are Mercedes going to say, given their strength in the driver market, that they're not going to rush, they're going to pick and choose their drivers, etc?"
"But given his performances, are they saying, 'Let's get him now'? Because a direct swap for Mercedes would be the most obvious choice."
"This guy is going to be a hot commodity," he added.
Meanwhile, Red Bull has emerged as another option for Sainz. Christian Horner confirmed that Sainz would be an option if they chose to replace Sergio Perez.
Already familiar with the Red Bull organization, Sainz made his Formula 1 debut with Red Bull's junior team alongside Max Verstappen in 2015, although Verstappen quickly moved up to the main team, while Sainz stayed at Toro Rosso before moving to Renault.
Richard Craill commented, "It's really an interesting situation. Because when Max first came into Formula 1, he was up against Max."
"I don't think everyone appreciated how special Max was, so Carlos got lost in that very quickly."
"Then there was an aura around him that wasn't at the same level as Max, but he's always proved himself. Look at how he's stood up against Charles Leclerc. Phenomenal," he said.
1996 World Champion Damon Hill was highly impressed by Sainz's efforts this season and says that not continuing at Ferrari hasn't demotivated him.
Hill said, "I think when you put everything into a pot, being told you're surplus to requirements at the end of the year could demotivate someone. But he's not that kind of personality."
"Essentially, maybe he's saying, 'I'm here for myself, and I'm going to use this Ferrari and I'm going to do whatever I want with it.'"
"You can tell me to stop or do something else, but it doesn't matter because I'm fighting to stay alive."
"People either get back up when they're knocked down or they lie there and crawl away, and he's not doing that. He's not that kind of person."
"He's showing he's a fighter. And that fight is really strong. I think he's expressed himself exceptionally well this weekend," he said.
Text and Photos: motorsport.com
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