Mercedes neveꦜr made a “con𝓡crete offer” to Carlos Sainz, it has been reported.

Outgoing Ferrari driver Sainz has chosen Williams instead of Sauber/Audi or Alpine for the next two seasons, deciding the fate of🌌 the key remaining driver on the F1 m𓄧arket.

Mercedes still have not named their replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton (although Andrea Kimi Ant꧑onelli is the clear frontrunner) and, at Silverstone,🅠 Sainz seemingly re-entered the running.

Toto Wolff, after initially ruling out Sainz, hinted: “It’s… interesting. And you know it’s likꦑe Bernie said, last week I have an opinion, this week I have a different one.”

But after Sainz penned a Willꦏiams contract, Craig Slater said on the Sky F1 podcast: “He has chosen the best available option, and the options were limited.

“The Red Bull 🍰seat, for the past month at least, has🍰 not been available to him.

"There was toing and f꧟roing between himself and Red Bull. Perhaps because Christian Horner has authority now, rather than Helmut Marko, which is a situation which has changed this season, maybe counted against him.

“Horner stucꦏk by Sergio Perez. So that does not seem to have been an option.

“Mercedes, I reported six weeks ago for him, due to the timeframes in which Merced𒅌es and Sainz wanted to make their decisions by, it seemed ♚like he was a contender again. Or discussions could reopen. But it hasn’t gone anywhere.

“I have tried t▨o check with people w♍ho have a window into Mercedes’ plans. I don’t believe any concrete offer was made by Mercedes to Sainz, or even the door opened for a season. So I think it’s always been a long shot.

“Ultimately he had to decide between Wil🔯liams, Audi and a late bid from Alpine ꦓwhich did turn his head.

“He’s gone foꦆr Williams which ﷺisn’t a great short-term option based on current form. That has been uppermost in Sainz’s mind.

“He is conscious that these pr💟ojects, for a d♊river, can be damaging in the short-term. You can go from hero to zero.

“I think his op🐻inion is ‘next year I will lo🌳ok best in the Williams’.”

Engine tipped as key reason for Carlos Sainz

“When you look at next year,🐟 you can’t see the order of the grid shaking up a l🌱ot from this year,” Bernie Collins told the Sky F1 podcast.

“Williams,🌼 Sauber/Audi, Alpine… Williams is the probably the b🍌est of those.

“Looking to 2026 with the ꧒proposed new regulations coming in, it puts focus onto the engine.

“We don’t know which engine💃 Alpine will go with. We know Audi is coming in. We know Williams will stay with Merce🎃des.

“The Mercedes engine, the majorit💖y🧸 of us consider it to be the strongest.

♔“The expectation is that, even if it’s 🍒not up for podiums and wins next year, potentially in 2026 brings opportunity.

“That’s only one year of lost results. It’s slightly more forward s😼ight o𝓰n Carlos’ behalf.”