Market, Rosberg on Sainz: “Little money from Red Bull, 1 year from Mercedes”

A stalled market

After the official transfer of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari in 2025 and the permanence of the eternal Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin, the rest of the pilots market seems to be experiencing a moment of apparent calm. There is a free seat in Red Bull and one in Mercedes, but a possible early farewell of Max Verstappen to his team could create an unexpected domino effect: for this reason the teams are taking their time.

Rosberg does the 'pendulum'

On the weekend of the Chinese GP, Nico Rosberg to the microphones of Sky UK, recounted the rumors coming from the paddock, focusing in particular on the drivers market.
The 2016 world champion started from Mercedes: “George Russell is driving like a lead driver, it's fantastic. It wasn't clear if he would be able to do it, but he is an asset for the Silver Arrows. Seeing Sebastian Vettel by his side would be great, however it must be recognized that in 2022 he was not as competitive in Aston Martin as Alonso is today and therefore I wonder if he is still as fast as in his heyday. Definitely I see his return as unlikelyalthough personally I would like it.”

The discussion then shifts to one of the most coveted pieces on the market, Carlos Sainz: “It would be the best choice for Mercedes but also for Red Bull. But Red Bull probably didn't offer him a lot of money and Mercedes don't want to offer him more than a one-year contract because they are hoping for Kimi Antonelli – who is truly exceptional – and would like him in the car in 2026 at the latest. Putting Antonelli in Mercedes in 2025 in my opinion would be too early, having not yet achieved significant results in Formula 2. Carlos would be perfect for Sauber/Audi, but would Sauber/Audi be perfect for him? Sainz would like to win races and there he would have to start all over again. The decision will be very difficult.” For Rosberg, there is already a clear German candidate for Audi: “Nico Hulkenberg, he is fast and has a lot of experience and will help build the team”