F1 Today | Mercedes close in on 2025 lineup and Sainz responds to Williams

Has Mercedes made a deal with Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 season?

German outlet BILD has reported that Mercedes has finally made a decision about their 2025 driver lineup. They believe starlet and Mercedes Junior Team driver Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli will drive alongside George Russell in 2025. Wolff has made no secret of wanting to pursue Verstappen in his hunt for a driver to partner George Russell. GPblog previously reported that Verstappen was to stay with Red Bull, so Mercedes lost that chance. For some months, Antonelli has been on Mercedes' list, and the Silver Arrows has now sealed the deal, the German outlet reports.   

Sainz is flattered by Williams's interest but is yet to make a decision on his future

Carlos Sainz has spoken out about Williams's interest in his services for 2025. He has stated that he is flattered by Vowles's interest, but has still not made a decision for next year. "I appreciate James' interest and the kind words that he has always towards me. The same can be said about how I feel towards him and his team, but the reality is that I haven't made up my mind yet about where I'm going to go next year, because, as I said in the first conference the other day, I'm too focused," said the Spaniard. Sainz is currently focused on seeing out his 2024 season with Ferrari and will be looking to bounce back after a DNF in Canada at his home race in Spain. The three-time Grand Prix winner looks most likely to join Williams in the place of Logan Sargeant or Kick Sauber for 2025. (Audi in 2026) 

Brundle calls the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix a 'logistical mess' 

Formula 1 veteran and Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes that the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix was the worst that there has been in terms of the venue. In his Sky Sports column analysing the whole weekend, Brundle finished his article by stating: "I've been visiting the Canadian GP in Montreal since 1984, and this year was undoubtedly the least enjoyable in terms of the venue. The popularity and scale of today's F1 has outgrown the facilities, and the rain turning accesses into mud didn't help. The police and security appeared increasingly aggressive and unhelpful to boot, it was a logistical mess." The issues for the promoters and organisers of the event began on Friday morning when fans were told they weren't allowed to enter the track, and that FP1 and FP2 were both cancelled due to the heavy rain. The situation only got worse on Sunday, as authorities decided to put up black mesh along the wire fence on the start-finish line. This meant that general admission ticket holders, who had been standing in the rain for hours, suddenly had no view of the race, just an hour before lights out. It's clear to see why Brundle and thousands of fans were frustrated with the organisers of the race.