Carlos Sainz is reportedly delaying a decision over his next move in the💧 hope of landing a Mercede꧃s or Red Bull opportunity.

Those two teams appeared 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 l📖ose🦩 his 2025 drive to Lewis Hamilton - is holding up the entire market as he waits to make a commitment.

Sky🌠 Sports News’ Craig Slater said about the Mercedes vacancy f🍒or next season: “Sainz is back in the frame, potentially.

“I’d reported 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.

“M♋ercedes wanted it defer💎red until later in the year.

“Sainz is now wa🎀iting - not just for Mercedes, but because there might still be an opening 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 wiဣth one of the weaker cars.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff dropped a ma👍jor 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 o🦩pinion, t🔥his 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, a💧fter all.

“Mercedes want to take their time with him now,” Slater sa💦id.

“He had a better weekend, 🎉won the sprint race in F2 at Sil🃏verstone.

“But they want to wait on that.”

Sainz has won F1 grands prix this season, and last y𒉰ear during Red Bull’s dominance.

His other ♕three options for 2025 are Sauber, Williams and Alpine.

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

As a result, other drivers on th🥀e market are u♌nable to secure their own futures.

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

Zhou even admitted his fru💧stration with Sainz’s delays, and the knock-on effect.