Internal reasons behind Mercedes signing Antonelli instead of Sainz:

— Mercedes opted for Kimi Antonelli over Carlos Sainz to replace Lewis Hamilton, who exited for Ferrari before the F1 2024 season began. Sky Deutschland’s Sascha Roos believes Toto Wolff had “internal reasons” for this decision.

“If I were Mercedes, I would have chosen and signed Sainz – and pushed Antonelli over to Williams for the time being,” Roos said. “There are certainly internal reasons why Toto Wolff decided this way.”

— Despite Sainz’s strong 2024 season, including a win at the Australian GP, no contract was offered, and he eventually joined Williams.

“It was Sainz’s best season in his career so far, with two race wins,” said Roos. 

“But Leclerc was even more consistent. It was a good pairing at Ferrari with Sainz and Leclerc. I think Ferrari will regret the Hamilton move.”

— Roos also expressed doubts about Hamilton’s ability to adapt quickly to Ferrari’s car, potentially weakening the team in the early stages of 2025.

“Hamilton will need a certain amount of time to get used to the car. And then the train may have already left the station as far as the team championship is concerned. The way Sainz and Leclerc drove in the end – and the car will not change much in 2025 – Ferrari will initially be weakened with Hamilton in the first few races. I would be very surprised if Hamilton has Leclerc clearly under control over the course of the season.”

— Roos also suggested that Sainz might not stay long at Williams, hinting at a potential move to Cadillac in 2026.

“I can imagine that he will not stay at Williams for long and may go to Cadillac,” he added. “And you don’t know what else is going to happen at Red Bull will happen.”

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#carlossainz #williamsf1

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