The Silly Season in motorsports is among the most fun topics to discuss. The what-ifs, dream scenarios, and all the speculation you could conjure up are all on the table this year. From Lewis Hamilton going to Ferrari to who will replace the seven-time champion at Mercedes. And let’s not forget about the domino holding everything up in Carlos Sainz. The Silly Season has already seen major moves, and there are still plenty to go—and it is only July.
The Biggest Fish in F1
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Carlos Sainz is the hottest free agent on the market, and multiple teams are already offering the Spaniard money. The current rumor is that Alpine has signed Sainz. Audi, which will enter F1 in 2026 when the regulations change, has been rumored to be the front-runner in the last few months.
When Red Bull signed a contract extension with Sergio Perez, that took the energy drink company off the table. However, with Perez struggling the last few months, Red Bull could invoke the reported performance cause during the summer break and terminate Perez’s contract. This would open the door for Sainz to return to Red Bull, where he cut his teeth as a junior driver.
As a fan of Red Bull, Carlos Sainz would be my number one option; however, the relationship between Verstappen and Sainz has been well-documented during their time at Toro Rosso. A reunion at Red Bull seems unlikely; however, Toto Wolf, the Team Principal at Mercedes, told the media:
‘With Carlos, you have a safe bet. There are certainly many arguments in favor. That is why I also want to take my time with the decision and keep all options open as long as possible.’
‘And when I spoke to Carlos I already told him: ‘I am not sure you can wait as long as I would like you to wait. I don’t want to make a decision quickly. If we have more time to decide, Carlos is definitely still a chance, but Carlos needs to make a decision on what he does with the other teams.’
If the Alpine rumors are false, Sainz could be waiting for Mercedes’ call, which could explain why Sainz has not made a decision yet.
The Second Mercedes Seat
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One of the most sought-after seats in F1 is still wide open. Only a handful of names have been thrown out to take Hamilton’s seat. The favorite has been the 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who won his first F2 in the sprint race. Wolf said at the FIA Press conference:
‘What I like in terms of his attitude, generally his family, who has been always close to him, is the objective assessment of a situation, and whether that is good or not good enough. And I don’t think that the pressure harms at all the way he performs in the car and how he drives. You can clearly see it’s a good benchmarking with Ollie Bearman.’
‘They are pretty close. Ollie had an obviously very good race in Austria and Kimi on the Sunday, had a clutch release issue in the second race. So you’ve got to swim. That’s clear. It was a rapid career progression. He’s 17. Hasn’t got even a driving license for a road car. And the best ones will be able to cope with that, with the amount of scrutiny and the pressure, and it’s going to get bigger.’
Antonelli is the favorite to take the seat, which would be an unprecedented move for Mercedes to put a young driver in such a high-profile seat. The transition could be made easier if another rumor is true about Antonelli taking over the Williams seat for the struggling Logan Sargent, making the transition from F2 to F1.
Seats Still Up for Grabs
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There are still many seats up for grabs. The second seat to RB seems to be locked with Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo, who are at a crossroads in his F1 career. If Riccardo can show Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner in the next couple of races he deserves a shot at the second Red Bull seat, he will get his chance. But if he falters, he may be out of F1.
Another seat up for grabs is a HAAS F1 seat next to Oliver Bearman. Valtteri Bottas or Esteban Ocon, are rumored to be in that seat in 2025. Of the two, Bottas is clearly the best option. He has 10 Grand Prix victories and twice finished second in the Mercedes point standings. Bottas can also serve as Bearman’s mentor and a measuring stick to maximize his potential.
Alpine has an open seat next to Pierre Gasly. The favorite for this seat is Alpine junior driver Jack Doohan. Doohan is a 21-year-old Australian who is Alpine’s reserve driver. Doohan has improved in his two full seasons in F2, capturing six wins. If Doohan is in the Alpine Antonelli in the Mercedes Oliver Bearman, who is already confirmed in the HAAS F1 seat, we will have one of the strongest rookie classes we have ever seen in F1.
Predicting The 2025 Grid
It is hard to predict but always fun. For the Red Bull team, the drivers I predict will be Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda has been the most consistent driver in the Red Bull camp who isn’t Max Verstappen. For Mercedes George Russell’s teammate, I believe it will be Kimi Antonelli. It’s a big leap for Wolff but I think he pulled the trigger on it.
The RB seats may be wide open. RB is meant to be a development team for Red Bull, and the older Riccardo isn’t a fit. I think Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, who leads the F2 standings at the time of this article, have broken through this year and would be a perfect tandem. At HAAS, Bottas is the best choice for them. A seasoned veteran next to Bearman would be a positive direction for all parties.
At Alpine, I predict Jack Doohan will be in the second seat next to Gasly. Sauber, I think, will retain Zhou Guanyu to maintain consistency. Replacing Williams, I predict, will be the returning Mick Schumacher. He got a raw deal at HAAS and spent time as the reserve Mercedes driver. I think Mick earned a second chance in F1. A real chance in F1.
About The Author
Dillon Hildreth is a writer for Total Apex and a lifelong fan of Football with his favorite teams being the New England Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs. Dillon is also a fan of Motorsports Red Bull in Formula One and William Byron in NASCAR. You can catch Dillon Stream F1, NASCAR, and other video games and side casts on Twitch.
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