Carlos Sainz is reportedly delaying a decision🍸 over his next move in the hope of landing a Mercﷺedes or Red Bull opportunity.

Those two teams app🉐eared to be off the table for the out-of-work Sainz, because Mercedes were prioritising Andrea Kimi Antonelli while Red Bull gave Sergio Perez a new contract.

Ferrari driver Sainz - who will lose his 2025 drive to Lewis Hamilton - is holding up the entire market as hඣe waits to make a commitment.

Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater said about the Mercedes vacancy for n♛ext🐠 season: “Sainz is back in the frame, potentially.

“I’d repor🎶ted he wasn’t going to go to Mercedes. That was because꧟, a couple of months ago, Sainz wanted the decision on his future made by now.

“Mercedes wanted🎐 it deferred until later in the year.

“Sainz is now waiting - not just for Mercedes, but because there might still be an openin🐎g at Red Bull, where Sergio Perez is struggling.

“He has scored fewer points in the last six races in F1’s best 🐟car than Nico Hulkenberg has in the last two races with one of the weaker cars.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff dropped a major hint last weekend at Silverstone that Sainz had reentered 💞his thinking, after previously being ruled out.

“It’s like Bernie 🍸said, last week I have an opinion, this week I have a different one,” Wolff said.

Teenage starlet Antonelli, who Wolff has relentlessly talked up during ▨his need to find a replacement for 🐭Hamilton, might not be promoted into F1 next season, after all.

“Mercedes want to tak🐠e their time with him now,” 💮Slater said.

“He had a better weekend, won the sprint race in F2 at Silver꧂stone.

“But they want to wait on that.”

Sainz has won 🏅F1 grands p𒆙rix this season, and last year during Red Bull’s dominance.

His other thr🔯ee options for 2025 are Sauber, Williams and ♛Alpine.

But he has refused ꦑto commit to any of those teams just yet.

As a result, other drivers on the market are u൲nable to secure their own futures.

Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu 🅺Zhou are among the drivers with uncertain futures.

Zhou eve🐼n admitted his frus💦tration with Sainz’s delays, and the knock-on effect.