Sergio Perez has candidly expressed his desire for a contract extension beyond one year with Red Bull Racing.
The pace of the 2025 'silly season' is unusually brisk for this early in the year, driven by the high number of drivers nearing the end of their contracts and the impending major rule changes set for 2026.
Carlos Sainz has emerged as a pivotal player in the shifting dynamics of the market, with connections to both Red Bull and the Mercedes seat being vacated by Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari next year.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes' boss and co-owner, acknowledges his attempts to decelerate the rapid progress of this year's silly season. "We're just going at our pace," he informed Sky Deutschland in Shanghai.
Wolff was taken aback by Hamilton's early Ferrari decision and stated, "and now I want exactly the opposite when it comes to next year's decision."
"Carlos is doing a great job," Wolff concedes. "There's nothing to say about that. So he's one that we're taking into account."
Andrea 'Kimi' Antonelli, Wolff's 17-year-old protégé, is considered a strong contender to fill Hamilton's shoes, offering Mercedes a longer timeframe to assess whether internal tensions at Red Bull might prompt Max Verstappen to eventually and sensationally leave.
"It's very serious," commented Jack Plooij, a commentator for Ziggo Sport. "That's because of James (Jim) Ratcliffe," he mentioned, referring to Wolff's fellow one-third shareholder in Mercedes.
"He is behind this, and he has said 'Do everything to bring Max to our team,'" disclosed billionaire Ratcliffe, who also leads Mercedes' main sponsor, Ineos.
"There is one team in the history of Formula 1 that has always handled the transition to new engines the best - Mercedes," Plooij continued. "If they can show Verstappen that they're making a bomb of an engine, then will Max go for the best engine in 2026?"
Sainz, aged 29, might also be considered a long shot for the Mercedes position.
"Audi is making him an offer," Nico Rosberg revealed in China, "but then he will have no chance of being at the front next year. The team (Sauber) will not even be Audi then.
"And driving alongside Verstappen is no fun for him at Red Bull," he added. "I don't think he will ever accept becoming number 2 driver again."
Despite this, it's highly improbable that Verstappen will leave Red Bull prematurely, which likely secures Perez's position for at least 2025.
Perez, on his part, is advocating for a longer tenure. "I think that makes a lot of sense," he told ESPN Mexico. "I don't think it makes sense to hire a driver for one year and then all the rules change for 2026, right?
"Especially because there will be a lot of development next year, in the middle of the year, so it's important to be part of a long-term project."
Finally, Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko subtly confirms Sebastian Vettel's intent to come out of retirement next year, although finding a competitive seat is proving difficult.
"I think he wants it if he sees the chance to get a top car somewhere," he disclosed in Shanghai. "Then he's ready for it."
"The problem is that he's been out of the frame for over a year, and there are no longer that many top seats."
